Drowning on Dry Land
by sophiegranger57
Summary: When Hermione Granger is attacked by Bellatrix Lestrange, her whole world starts to fall apart. She feels like she's drowning. Will the most unexpected person be able to bring her back to life? Dramione AU set in Year Seven.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
Hermione Granger was brave. She'd come to accept that about herself. Since she'd started her life at Hogwarts and befriended Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, she'd been through a lot of things, each one giving her more and more courage.  
It was summertime, and she'd been home with her mum and dad for a few weeks now. She loved her parents, but she missed Ron and Harry who were awful at writing her. She couldn't wait until the latter half of the summer so she could see them at The Burrow.  
"Good night, Mum! Night, Dad!" she called, walking slowly up the stairs to her room.  
"Night dear!" she heard them call out in unison.  
Hermione loved her room. It was her favourite part about being home. Maybe it was because she didn't get to spend too much time there throughout the year. She didn't know. She just loved it  
She prepared herself and got herself into bed, quite comfortable in her silk nightgown. It was the kind of pajamas that she'd never dream about wearing in front of Harry and Ron as it was quite revealing. Although, due to the sheer comfortableness of the silk, it was her favourite.  
Hermione turned off the light and sank down into her bed, pulling the covers over her and smiling contently to herself. She was exhausted from shopping with her mother for most of the day, as well as reading and practicing spells. Her eyes closed after only a few moments, sending her into a deep sleep.  
"Hello, mudblood." a voice whispered in her ear.  
Her eyes snapped open, feeling disoriented.  
"Oh, you are awake." she heard the voice sneer in her ear.  
She jolted upright and felt an arm tighten around her mouth. She couldn't scream. There was light coming from the end of the intruder's wand. She kept squirming and squirming.  
"Oh for the love of Merlin, you piece of filth. Stay bloody still!"  
Hermione couldn't see who it was, but she felt as if she recognized the voice. She had heard it before, but she just couldn't place it.  
"_Petrificus Totalus!_" the voice whispered.  
Hermione was frozen. She felt the extreme panic rise. She couldn't move, couldn't scream. She needed her wand.  
"Hello, mudblood."  
The intruder moved into sight.  
Bellatrix Lestrange.  
If Hermione could scream, she would have. She had been through a lot in her six years at Hogwarts, but she'd never been as scared as this.  
"Oh, does the poor, defenseless, little mudblood want to scream?" she taunted. "Even if you could, you bloody disgusting piece of filth, it wouldn't matter. No one would hear you."  
What did that mean? Had she put an enchantment on the room? Or were her parents...  
Hermione knew she was going to die. She knew it.  
"I'm not going to kill you, mudblood. Not today. I will, but not today." Bellatrix spat, as if reading Hermione's mind.  
"I was just bored. Needed someone to torment, and who better than a mudblood?" she snarled, inching closer and closer to Hermione's face. "You daft, fool. You don't even have protective enchantments around your house! You practically begged for me to break in."  
Hermione felt a rush of immense pain come from her arm. She wanted to scream, oh how desperately she wanted to scream. Bellatrix laughed maniacally. The pain continued for what felt like hours.  
"_Crucio_!" she yelled.  
Hermione wished that she would kill her. She would rather die than feel this amount of pain and be completely helpless. The pain was going to drive her absolutely mad. It was endless. It took hours. Hermione just wanted to die, oh how she wanted to die.  
"I'll be back, mudblood. You better watch your back." she whispered close to Hermione's ear.  
"_Crucio_!" she said, one last time.  
The pain lasted forever. It didn't stop. Hermione couldn't move. Bellatrix got up from the bed and stood by Hermione's window. Hermione's eyes followed her. She heard Bellatrix quietly murmur the counter curse for Petrificus Totalus, and then apparate immediately.  
Hermione felt the charm be lifted, though she still couldn't move. She was terrified. She was still in an immense amount of pain. She managed to sit up, aching with every move and look at her right arm, which was still hurting too much.  
She wiped the pouring tears from her eyes and she saw why her arm had been hurting.  
Bellatrix had carved the word Mudblood into her arm. It was bleeding.  
"_Accio_ wand." she mumbled, tearfully as the wand shot into her hand.  
She murmured a healing spell while pointing it at her arm. The blood stopped, however the deep cuts did not heal. She whispered it again.  
Nothing.  
Hermione weeped and weeped, barely being able to believe what had just happened. She pulled her covers up over her body, afraid to see if her parents were dead or alive.

The next morning Hermione slipped out of bed, quietly. The tears had long dried from her face, though left her feeling awful. She had a horrid headache and her arm was still aching. She grabbed a grey cardigan from her wardrobe and pulled it on over her nightgown, covering her arm.  
She was terrified.  
She walked slowly down the stairs, listening desperately for the sound of her parents.  
"M-mum?" she called out, nervously.  
"Oh, good morning Hermione, dear! You're up early." her mum called back to her.  
"What, no hello for Dad?" her dad yelled.  
She breathed a sigh of relief. They were alive. They were okay.  
As for Hermione... she wasn't sure if she'd ever be okay again.  
** . . .**  
"Hermione! Come on now, dear." Mrs. Weasley called out from down the stairs.  
It was the end of summer and Hermione had spent the last few weeks living at The Burrow. Harry was there as well, arriving a week or so before she had.  
Every single night Hermione had spent home alone in her room, she had woken up screaming from a nightmare that Bellatrix had come for her again. Though she never did. Hermione had awoken her parents every night for a week with her screaming. They'd rushed into her room, making sure she was alright. She'd brush them off, telling it was just a nightmare that she couldn't be rid of. She didn't dare tell them about Bellatrix. After a week, she'd cast Muffliato so her parents would no longer hear her.  
She had owled Harry, Ron and Dumbledore immediately the next day, explaining what had happened. Dumbledore had extensive protective enchantments placed around her house, as well as promising to have someone keep an eye on her parents. Since arriving at The Burrow, she'd been staying in Ginny's room, which had stopped her nightmares, knowing that someone was there, close to her. She wasn't alone.  
"I'm coming!" she called out to Mrs. Weasley.  
They were headed to Platform 9 and 3/4 to board the train to Hogwarts.  
"Alright, Hermione?" Harry asked when she made it down the stairs.  
She nodded, pulling her bushy brown hair back into a low bun.  
"Let's get a move on, you lot. We can't have you missing the train now, can we?" Mr. Weasley said.  
They made their journey to the platform and were soon tucked away in a compartment aboard the train after saying their goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.  
"I can't wait until the feast." Ron mumbled, stretching out his arms in his seat.  
Hermione was seated across from him, going over a mental checklist in her head that she had all her books she needed. Next to her was Ginny, who was quite obviously stealing glances at Harry across from her when he wasn't looking.  
"Are you always thinking about your stomach, Ronald?" Hermione groaned.  
"I'm just hungry, Hermione." he mumbled.  
Hermione wasn't paying attention anymore, though. She was wondering if the Bellatrix nightmares had stopped, or if it was only because she wasn't alone.  
Hermione had made Head Girl this year, meaning she'd have a room to herself, and a shared common room with the Head Boy. Her letter hadn't said who the Head Boy was.  
"Hermione?" Ginny called out.  
"What?" she said, snapping out of her own thoughts.  
"Are you alright? You look a little..." Ginny started. "Off."  
"Yeah, of course. I'm fine." she lied.  
They'd all been worried about her ever since the incident with Bellatrix. Harry especially. He blamed himself because she was his friend. She had told him over and over again that it was only because she was muggleborn, and not because she was Harry Potter's best friend. Well... not completely.  
"Hermione... come take a walk with me for a second." Harry asked her, standing up.  
She nodded at him, following him out of the compartment.  
They strolled down the hallway, stopping near the door to the next car over.  
"Hermione, do you promise that you're okay?" Harry asked.  
She knew that it was about this. Harry had become increasingly over protective of her.  
"Harry, I'm fine. Really." she sighed.  
"Don't lie, please. I'm just worried about you. You seem distant and... you're quiet a lot." he explained, sadly.  
"Harry, please. I'm fine. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."  
"Yeah, Potter. Let your little mudblood girlfriend take care of herself!" a voice called from behind them.  
Hermione and Harry turned to face the voice.  
Draco Malfoy.  
Harry's face instantly darkened, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Malfoy. Hermione's face reddened. Even though she was mainly used to him calling her a mudblood, it sometimes still stung. That, and the fact that his aunt was Bellatrix Lestrange.  
"Shut up, Malfoy. You know what your aunt did to her!" Harry yelled, causing a few compartments to slowly open, heads popping out to stare.  
Malfoy's signature smirk dropped for a moment, being replaced with a look of confusion.  
"What the hell are you talking about, Potter?" he spat.  
Hermione and Harry exchanged looks of confusion.  
"Harry, let's just -" Hermione started.  
"Don't play dumb! You know what your Death Eater aunt did to her!" Harry said, his voice escalating even more.  
"I've got no sodding idea what you're talking about." Malfoy said, pulling out his own wand and pointing it at Harry.  
"Please, Harry! Let's just go!" Hermione pleaded.  
Harry slowly dropped his wand, Malfoy following suit and doing the same.  
"Get out of my face, Potter. You too, Mudblood." Draco snarled.  
Harry reached for Hermione's hand and pulled her away from Malfoy to their compartment.  
"D'you reckon he actually didn't know?" Harry questioned, dropping Hermione's hand and sliding open the compartment door.  
"No idea. Let's just drop it, okay?" Hermione said, sitting down and resting her head against the cool glass.  
It was going to be a long year.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing, always.

**Author's Note:** I really hope that people are reading! It's a work in progress, but I'd love reviews!

**Chapter Two**  
Draco Malfoy opened his compartment door and slid in, sitting next to Pansy Parkinson, who had been annoying him greatly.  
What had the Golden Boy and the Mudblood been talking about?  
What had his Aunt Bellatrix done?  
He had no idea. They must have been making things up. Surely his mother would have told him if Bellatrix had done something.  
Although, he had never seen that look on Granger's face before. He had never seen the brat look so hurt and terrified. She didn't even say anything to him. She actually kept her mouth shut for once.  
He must owl his mum as soon as he could.  
"What happened, Draco?" Pansy whispered, trying to cozy up to him.  
Draco groaned under his breath, attempting to subtly move away from Pansy.  
"Just Potter and Granger." he explained haughtily. "It was nothing."  
"Idiots." Blaise Zabini mumbled across from them.  
Draco turned his attention away from them, thinking annoyingly about what Potter had said.  
Over the summer, Draco and his mother had stayed quietly at the Manor. His father was locked away in Azkaban and the Dark Lord was treating them icily, more icily than his normal personality. Draco and Mrs. Malfoy had been certain that they would be killed once Lucius had been sent to Azkaban, but Severus Snape had persuaded him that when the time came, Narcissa and Draco could be of use to him.  
Draco worried about his mother, leaving her alone in the Manor without his jackass of a father while he was at Hogwarts this year. He'd promised to stay in touch quite more frequently than normal.  
"Draco, dear?" Pansy murmured.  
"What?" he sighed.  
He'd grown bored of snogging Pansy. She, frankly, was irritating, clingy and not even that attractive. He'd just needed someone to be physical with. That was all.  
Draco was desperate to find out who Head Girl was this year. He'd gotten sent his letter, explaining that he had been chosen for Head Boy. He hoped that she was attractive. That would make sharing a common room a lot more fun than if it was some daft, ugly witch.  
At least it wasn't Pansy.  
This was going to be a long year.  
** . . .**  
Hermione got up from her seat in the Great Hall after finishing her meal.  
"I've got to go see Dumbledore and find out where my room is. I'll meet you all back in the Common Room, okay?" she called out to Harry and Ron.  
"See you." Harry called back.  
"Mmhph!" Ron mumbled through a mouthful of food, making it completely inaudible.  
Hermione sighed, shaking her head at Ron. She smoothed down her skirt and headed to Dumbledore's office. She remembered in her letter that she was supposed to meet there at exactly 8 o'clock for her instructions on being Head Girl.  
She headed towards his office, noticing a figure standing in front of the statue that lead to her destination.  
As she neared, she realized that it was Draco Malfoy.  
She scoffed under her breath, wondering what he was doing there.  
"Hello, mudblood." he drawled as she reached him.  
"What are you doing here?" Hermione sighed, crossing her arms at him.  
"I'm waiting for Dumbledore." he explained, flatly.  
"Obviously, Ferret. But, why?"  
"Not that it's any of your sodding business, Granger, but I'm Head Boy." he snarled.  
Hermione's stomach dropped.  
"Of course you are. Brilliant." she groaned, sarcastically.  
"Speak up, mudblood. What'd you say?"  
"I'm Head Girl."  
** . . .**  
She has got to be joking, Malfoy thought.  
"You mean I've got to spend the whole year with you? You filthy little Mudblood." he snarled.  
He had to share a Common Room with Granger. Stupid, too smart for her own good, Gryffindor Hermione Granger. His enemy.  
He noticed her face brighten and he smirked at her for a moment, loving every moment that he caused her displeasure.  
"D-do you really think I want to spend all year with you, Malfoy? No." Hermione huffed at him.  
"Ah! My apologies, all. I got carried away talking to Professor Flitwick about Sherbert Lemons!" Dumbledore said from behind them.  
The old oaf really never helped his case for Malfoy's respect, talking about a stupid, Muggle candy.  
"Absolutely no problem, Professor Dumbledore." Hermione chirped, the redness draining away from her face.  
"Yeah." was all Draco said.  
Dumbledore led them up the stairs to his office and had them sit on two chairs in front of his desk.  
"Now. Obviously, there is a little inter-house tension between you two. But I'm sure, after a little time, you'll be able to overcome it." he said, happily.  
Draco was disgusted at his almost constant cheer and positivity.  
He babbled on about all their duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. He noticed Granger nod eagerly at almost everything he said. God, she was annoying.  
Though, his curiosity at what Potter had said on the train hadn't changed at all. He was planning to owl his Mother right after he unpacked.  
"Now, you are still free to use your house common rooms of course. But, as you both know, you will have your own bedrooms in the Heads Chambers. There are two bedrooms and a common room. You're allowed guests in the Common Room during the day, but not after curfew." the old man explained, with his annoying twinkle in his eye.  
He then conjured up a few sheets of paper and sent them flying into Draco's and Hermione's hands.  
"There's everything we went over, in case you have any questions."  
Draco stood up immediately, ready to get out of Dumbledore's pathetic office.  
"Thank you, Professor." Granger chirped, smiling at him.  
Draco rolled his eyes at her and started for the door.  
"Yes, thank you." he mumbled.  
** . . .**  
Hermione couldn't believe that she had to spend all year, working with and living in the same vicinity of Draco Malfoy.  
She trailed along behind him down the stairs of Dumbledore's office.  
"Hurry up, Granger." he snarled from in front of her.  
Hermione said nothing. Usually she was able to deal with Malfoy and his mean words. Being called a mudblood was just expected from him. But, this year was different.  
This year Hermione was thinking of Bellatrix Lestrange and the letters that were etched into her arm.  
Did Malfoy really not know what had happened?  
Surely Bellatrix would have told her sister.  
Surely Narcissa would have told Malfoy.  
Hermione shook her head to clear it of thoughts and hurried along to walk only slightly behind Malfoy.  
Later, when Hermione had unpacked her trunk in her new room, she made her way back out to the common room, bringing Hogwarts: A History with her. She sat on a plush red arm chair, pulling a nearby grey blanket on her and cracking the book open.  
Immediately immersing herself in the book, she didn't notice Draco come in until she heard a small cough, scaring her out of her reading.  
"Merlin's beard, when did you come out here?" Hermione whispered, breathlessly.  
She got scared a lot more easily these days.  
"Dunno, mudblood. A while ago." he murmured.  
Hermione noticed he had a quill and was quickly writing on parchment.  
"Well... why are you out here?" Hermione wondered out loud.  
He finally looked up at her, a flat expression on his face.  
"It's my Common Room too. I thought you were supposed to be smart, Granger." he drawled, smirking at her.  
"You mean you can stand sitting in the same room with me?" Hermione asked, half sarcastically and half seriously.  
"Stop analyzing everything, Granger. I need to go to the Owlery, and I'm just writing a letter out here." he spat.  
Hermione said nothing and merely looked back down at her book for a few long moments. She was so tired, and just wanted to go to sleep. She was worried that she'd dream again. Maybe they'd stopped. She was still petrified every single time she went to bed, though she doubted that Bellatrix could harm her here. She was at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was the safest place she could be.  
"I'm going to bed. Good night, Malfoy." she said, standing up and hurrying away to her room.  
** . . .**  
What was up with Granger?  
She was hardly saying any quick, annoying retorts to his comments like she usually did?  
Had she lost her wits this summer?  
What the hell had happened with her and Bellatrix this summer?  
He hurried to the Owlery and sent his letter away, hoping she'd reply quickly and knowing she would.  
What else would she possibly be doing with her time?  
Draco arrived back in the Common Room just in time to hear a bloodcurdling scream.  
What in the name of Merlin was happening?  
Granger, he realized.  
Draco hurried to her room. As much as he hated the girl, he couldn't let her be harmed right under his nose. Unless he was the one doing it.  
He shoved her door open and found Hermione. She was lying on her bed, screaming.  
In her sleep.  
** . . .**  
"I'm going to kill you this time, you filthy, little Mudblood." Bellatrix murmured in her ear.  
Hermione screamed and screamed but couldn't move and couldn't make a sound.  
"Granger! Granger!" a voice called out.  
Hermione jolted upwards, tears streaming down her face and echoes of her last scream in her throat.  
"What are you doing?" Malfoy asked, shaking her by her shoulders.  
Hermione was frozen. Then, she realized that it was another dream.  
They hadn't stopped.  
"I-I-I-" Hermione stammered, struggling to get her wits about her.  
"Hermione?" he asked, sliding a little closer to her and squeezing her shoulders tighter.  
She'd never heard him call her Hermione before.  
"Hermione, what happened?" He asked, sounding more and more urgent by the second.  
"N-n-nightmare." she squeaked out.  
He dropped his grip from her shoulders.  
"This is all because of a nightmare? You're screaming your sodding face off because of a nightmare?" he scoffed.  
Hermione shook her head, pushing her lips together to choke back a sob.  
"Do you even have a clue what your Aunt did to me this summer?" Hermione stammered.  
He shook his head. "I've honestly got no idea."  
Hermione couldn't believe it.  
She pushed up the sleeve of her pale blue shirt and showed him the word on her arm. She watched his pale skin pale even more, if that was even possible.  
"Fuck..." he said, standing up off her bed and taking a few steps back.  
"She broke into my house while I was sleeping and petrified me! She tortured me, Malfoy. She used the Cruciatus Curse on me more than once, and she carved this into my arm. I couldn't even scream. It was awful." Hermione explained tearfully.  
She couldn't believe she was being this open with her emotions around Draco Malfoy of all people.  
He ran a hand through his astonishing white, blonde hair and shook his head.  
"Granger... I had no idea..." he whispered.  
"I don't know what side you're on Malfoy, but I'd like to believe that you really didn't know about this."  
"I didn't, I swear."  
Things were silent for a moment. Hermione and Draco just stared at each other. Hermione realized that this was the most civilized conversation that they'd ever had.  
"Thank you for um... waking me up." Hermione mumbled, pulling her sleeve down and shyly looking away.  
She felt very vulnerable and exposed, something she loathed being.  
"Yeah... just... keep it down." he said, slowly starting to the door.  
"You called me Hermione." she called out to him.  
Malfoy stopped and turned to stare at her.  
** . . .**  
Of course she'd noticed him call her Hermione.  
Draco just hadn't known what else to do. She was screaming louder than he'd ever heard anyone scream.  
"It was a slip up. Won't happen again, you mudblood." he spat at her.  
He watched her eyes drift to her right arm where she'd shown him the word only moments previously.  
Malfoy inched out the door, shutting it loudly behind him. He felt bad. That had not been the time to call her a mudblood.  
Why did he have to be such a prat?  
She'd looked so sad and scared. He'd felt her trembling when he'd held her shoulders. He wasn't going to deny it, he had been momentarily frightened.  
But this didn't mean he cared for the girl. No, no way.  
He hated her.  
Though still, he couldn't believe that his Aunt Bellatrix had done something as random as that and left her alive.  
She had been lucky on the latter fact.  
He went into his room and stripped down to his boxers before climbing into bed.  
All he could think of were the letters carved into Hermione's arm. No doubt that Bellatrix had used a charm so they wouldn't be able to heal and disappear.  
Granger would be branded with that forever.  
Draco rubbed his eyes and turned over, shutting his eyes tightly, desperately hoping for the images of the afraid and distraught muggleborn to leave his mind.

**Author's Note:** Please read and review! xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me, except my ideas.

**Author's Note:** I'm happy to see that this is being read! Let me just give you some insight: It's set in Seventh Year. Harry is not yet with Ginny, Dumbledore is still alive, and I'm sure that you can figure out most of it! Please read and review!

**Chapter Three**  
When Hermione awoke the next morning, she was immediately embarrassed by the events of last night.  
Malfoy had seen her completely freak out.  
Even Harry and Ron had never seen her like that. And now one of the people who hated her the most in the world had. There was almost no doubting that he'd use it against her.  
She thought for a moment about the way he'd sounded when he'd called her Hermione.  
Why am I even thinking about that? Why am I thinking about him? Hermione thought to herself.  
She prepared herself for the day, equipped with a tidy braid and headed out of her room.  
At the exact moment she'd taken a step out of her room, Malfoy did the same.  
They stopped and stared at each other for a moment, neither appearing to know what to do.  
"G-good morning, Malfoy."  
"Granger." he said stiffly, resuming walking.  
They walked in silence together to the Great Hall for breakfast, parting ways once entering without saying a word.  
"Hermione!" Ginny called out, waving her over to a seat at the Gryffindor table.  
She sat down and smiled as brightly as she could at her friends. Harry and Ron were seated across from them, as well as Neville next to Hermione, followed by Dean and Seamus.  
"How was practically living with the Ferret?" Ron asked, spooning a heap of cereal into his mouth.  
"It was... odd." Hermione decided.  
She would never tell them about what had happened last night. The way Malfoy had called her Hermione. The way he had seemed actually concerned for her.  
She turned around to look at the Slytherin table, accidentally locking eyes with Malfoy. She stared for a second, to see if he'd look away.  
He didn't.  
** . . .**  
Draco caught her eye from across the room. He wanted to look away, he knew he should look away, but he couldn't.  
He just stared at Granger, not sure what to do next.  
All he had done all night was think about the words carved into her arm. She said she had had the Cruciatus Curse done on her more than once. It was a miracle she hadn't gone mad.  
He hated thinking about Hermione Granger this much. He hated that he was thinking of her at all. But, he couldn't help himself.  
She finally tore her eyes away from his and turned back to her friends.  
Her stupid friends. Potter, Weasley and the stupid Weaslette who's name always slipped his mind for some reason. He was waiting for the day Potter and the Weaslette hooked up and they became the most disgusting couple to ever walk the earth.  
"Draco, dear, how was your night with the mudblood?" Pansy murmured into his ear.  
He inched away, not in the mood to play along with her at all. He really needed to find a way to get her to leave him the hell alone this year.  
"Odd." was all he said.  
He stood up, leaving without another word.  
To be honest, Draco didn't even really like his Slytherin friends. They were all prats and annoying. He was fed up with them. He was fed up with being at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin it was his last year here.  
He made his way out of the Great Hall and pack to his new room. He headed to his room, but stopped just outside the door. Granger's door was slightly ajar. Without thinking, he walked straight into her room and took in his surroundings.  
There was an enormous stack of books on top of her wardrobe, as well as multiple other stacks around the room.  
How did she have time to read all of those?  
He walked further into her room and to the far wall. He noticed that she had placed photographs all over. There were a few of her and the Weaslette making funny faces, as well as lots of the Golden Trio. He was struck by a photo of the three with Hermione in the middle.  
She had her arms around Potter and Weasley and a huge smile upon her face. It looked fairly recent. She was laughing in the photo, as were the other two. But there was something about her. Something about the way she looked.  
He looked closer at her eyes. He realized that they were the colour of pleasant chocolate. Not the mud that he'd originally thought they were. Her hair was pulled out of her face, with the exception of a few strands falling forward and framing her face.  
She looked astonishingly beautiful.  
Draco shook his head and stepped backwards, hurrying out of her room.  
What on earth had he just been thinking?  
Had he really just thought that Granger, the mudblood, was beautiful?  
He felt a strange murmuring in his chest. He didn't like it. He'd spent one single night in the same place as Hermione Granger and she was already invading his mind more than he wanted.  
He went into his room, slamming the door in frustration and laid down on his bed, groaning and pulling at his hair.  
** . . .**  
Hermione wondered where Malfoy had gone. She'd looked back at him, and noticed that he was walking out of the Great Hall rather quickly. She shook her tired head and turned back to her friends, catching Ron looking at her with a funny expression on her face.  
"Something you need, Ron?" she said, raising her eyebrows.  
His face reddened and he looked down.  
"No, nothing." he mumbled, shoving another scoop of cereal in his mouth.  
Later that day, after a long day of classes and a nice dinner, Hermione headed back to her room, planning to do her homework in her common room. She'd wanted to go to the library, but was just too tired from the lack of sleep the night before.  
She entered the common room to find Malfoy sitting upon the floor with parchment and books spread all about the table in front of him.  
"Oh... hi." Hermione said quietly.  
Malfoy glanced up at her and nodded before quickly looking back at his notes and scrawling something down with a large quill.  
"Do... do you mind if I work out here as well?" she asked hesitantly, sitting upon the red arm chair and laying her bag out in front of her on the floor.  
"You don't need my permission, Granger." Malfoy mumbled, not looking up at her.  
"Alright." was all Hermione could say.  
Draco looked so entranced in his notes, she couldn't bear to disturb him anymore. She didn't know anyone who did homework like that except for her.  
Hermione eagerly started her homework, glancing up at Malfoy from time to time. She looked up again when about halfway through her Arithmancy homework and caught him staring back. It was like the same moment from the Great Hall this morning. Neither one of them could look away.  
** . . .**  
Draco had done such a good job of not catching Granger's eye while sitting here in silence with her. Now that he had, he found himself being mesmerized in her eyes.  
Her deep, rich, warm, chocolate brown eyes.  
Had he really just used the word mesmerized when talking about Hermione Granger?  
He surely was losing his mind.  
He pulled his eyes away from hers and looked back down at his parchment. He'd gotten a fair amount of his homework done, and deemed it good enough for now. It was late most likely and Draco was exhausted.  
He gathered up his things in a pile and picked them up. He noticed Granger look up at him from her work.  
"Night, Granger." he mumbled, heading quickly towards his room.  
"Goodnight..." he heard her respond quietly.  
He hoped that she wouldn't scream tonight. He hoped that she wouldn't dream.  
His mother had owled him back, and he'd received it this morning. She'd explained that Bellatrix hadn't told her either. As to why, neither one of them could know for sure. Maybe it was because of his father being in Azkaban. Maybe it was because his Aunt Bellatrix was just crazy.  
Who knew.  
After what felt like only a few minutes but was really hours, Draco was awoken by a loud, chilling scream.  
He quickly hopped out of bed, grabbing a nearby pair of pants on the floor and slipping them on as he ran out of his room and into Granger's.  
** . . .**  
_"I told you I'd be back, mudblood. You were begging for me to come back. And now I can finally kill you, you vile piece of scum." Bellatrix breathed._  
_ Hermione couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She couldn't breathe._  
"Granger! Hermione!" she heard someone say.  
Hermione opened her eyes and sobbed, sitting up immediately. Draco was sitting on her bed, his hands tight around his arms as they had been the previous night.  
"Hermione... Hermione..." he whispered, urgently, scooting even closer to her.  
**. . . **  
He had the sudden unexpected urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly to get rid of all her fear and hurt.  
"Hermione, it's okay." he whispered.  
She wasn't calming down. She was still sobbing and sobbing.  
"Bloody hell." he whispered.  
He couldn't believe just how different things suddenly felt for him in regards to the muggleborn in just a matter of days. Seeing her this vulnerable scared him.  
He had to stop calling her a mudblood. After what his Aunt did to her, she never deserved to be called that agin.  
** . . .**  
Hermione finally managed to slow down her breathing and she looked into Draco's blue grey eyes.  
"I-I-I... I'm okay." she stammered, shaking violently.  
"No you're bloody not." he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Granger have you tried a dreamless sleep potion?"  
She nodded quickly. She had tried that over the summer when she first arrived at the Burrow., and the results had not been well. She hadn't been able to wake up and had slept for 48 hours straight.  
"D-d-didn't do any good." she stuttered.  
She noticed that Malfoy's hands were still tight around her arms. And he'd called her Hermione again.  
"Merlin, Granger. Is this going to happen every night?" he said, shaking his head.  
"I've got no sodding idea." she whispered back, wiping her eyes.  
Malfoy dropped his hands and slid back a few inches. They sat in silence stared at each other.  
"Are you going to be alright?" Malfoy asked her.  
"No." she spat out, sobbing once more.  
She then realized that he'd meant for the night.  
"For tonight, yes." she immediately corrected herself.  
He just nodded at her, and then stood up. "Get some sleep, Granger. You don't want bags the size of that hair of yours."  
Of course he had to make some sort of rude comment before he left.  
He was Malfoy.

**Author's Note:** Please review! xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. JK Rowling owns all.

**Chapter Four**  
Every night for the next month, Hermione had woken up screaming her heart out. No matter what she did, the dreams would not stop. She'd turned to staying up as late as she could, so they wouldn't come.  
But every night they did.  
Draco would come into her room every night and wake her up. He'd calm her down, make sure she was okay for the time being and head back to his room.  
Hermione had noticed that Draco looked about as tired as she felt. She felt sorry for him. It wasn't as if they had grown close over the last month, that was't the case at all. He'd dropped his comments about her being a mudblood, and his snarky comments about her looks and books were slowly dying down.  
It was odd.  
Hermione couldn't classify them as friends. They weren't there... yet. It was just more like they were civil with one another. But... then at the same time, Draco was on her mind a lot more than he ever had been, and in a very different way. She found herself being drawn to his eyes when they looked at each other. When she thought about him, she thought of him as Draco, and not Malfoy.  
She was certain she was going mad.  
Late that night, Hermione was sitting sleepily on the floor in front of the table in her common room. She'd spent most of the night with her friends in the Gryffindor common room, only leaving when they'd all decided to go to bed. Hermione was continuing her routine of staying up as late as possible, but was feeling herself start to drift.  
"Granger. Go to bed." Malfoy called out from his room.  
Hermione was quiet. She was continually petrified of sleeping. She didn't know if the fear would ever go away.  
"Hermione... just go." she heard him call out again.  
It always got her when he called her Hermione. It was only ever in the moments when he was calming her down that he did.  
**. . .**  
Draco watched Hermione stand up from the couch and head towards her room without another word. He was exhausted from tending to her screams every night. Sure, he could just leave her be until she woke herself up... but he just couldn't seem to do it. When he heard her scream, he didn't have a choice but to rush to her.  
He'd been calling her Hermione more and more frequently, and it was starting to scare him. What if someone found out about his growing affections for the muggbleborn?  
Surely his mother would disown him. Surely Voldemort would kill him.  
"Goodnight." he heard her mumble softly as she shut her door.  
He was sure that he had heard tears in her voice. It was starting to make his heart ache seeing her like this. Gone was the feisty, annoying Hermione Granger from all years previous. She was the shell of a girl most of the time. But, there were occasions when he'd see it come out in her, and it would only just make him smile on the inside.  
What was happening to him?  
A few short hours later, he heard it. Her screaming. He hopped out of bed, pulling on his nearby pants and rushing to Hermione's room. This scream was louder than ever, if that was even possible. His heart was breaking for her.  
Up until this year, he wasn't even sure that he'd had a heart.  
"Hermione." he whispered softly, taking her arms as usual.  
She kept sobbing and sobbing as she sat up. This time, Draco had the urge to do something else.  
He pulled her close to him and tightened his arms all the way around her, holding her close to him. Draco heard her breathing catch in surprise, but he didn't care. This was what she truly needed right now. He'd never held someone this way. It had never felt this intimate.  
"Hermione, Hermione, it's alright. You're alright." he whispered into her ear.  
She inched herself closer to him, resting her head in his chest, sobbing and sobbing.  
"It's not! It's not! I'll never be alright again!" she cried quietly, her words muffled in his chest.  
He was quiet. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at comforting. He wasn't even sure why he was doing this. Last year, he wouldn't have dreamed that he could have even considered holding the muggleborn this close.  
"I'm scared to sleep all the time. I'm going out of my mind." Hermione whimpered into him.  
He just held her tightly and tried to soothe her.  
He suddenly had an idea.  
"Hermione... you said this stopped when you shared a room with the Weasley girl in the summer, right?" he asked.  
He felt her nod as he ran a hand down her bushy hair.  
"Well, that settles it then." Draco decided.  
She pulled away from him a bit, but he kept his arms around her.  
"What settles what?" she asked, sounding confused.  
He couldn't believe what he was about to say. What had gotten into him this year? What was wrong with him? Where was the old him who loathed this girl?  
He looked into her tear filled, shining, brown eyes and knew that he was doing the right thing. He thought of her laugh that he'd heard while having the Weaslette visit the other day. He thought of her beautiful smile in the photograph he'd seen. He thought of how thoughtful she was when she was thinking.  
"You... you're gonna come stay in my room." Draco announced.  
**. . .**  
"I'm sorry... what?" Hermione stammered.  
She couldn't believe what Draco was suggesting. The two of them share the same bedroom?  
What was he thinking?  
He would actually want her and her muggleborn genes sleeping in his room with him?  
"You need to stay in my room with me. That way... you won't be alone anymore. And we can see if the dreams stop." he explained quietly, looking directly into her eyes.  
"Draco... that's crazy." she whispered.  
She noticed him smirk. "What?"  
"You called me Draco. It's odd." he explained, his smirk fading away.  
"You call me Hermione all the time." she countered.  
"Only when we're alone."  
"Embarrassed that we're being civil this year?"  
His face turned a pale shade of red and Hermione smiled.  
"Me too." she admitted as she watched a small smile creep onto Draco's face.  
"Well, come on Granger. We haven't got all night." he instructed, dropping his arms from around her and standing up.  
For a moment, she felt sad that his arms were gone from around her. The only person who'd ever held her like that was Harry, and yet, it had been entirely different. It had been last year when Hermione was upset about Ron and Lavender Brown. But... with Draco, it felt entirely more intimate and special.  
She stood up slowly and caught herself staring at his bare chest. Over the last month, she'd seen it quite a bit from which she'd deducted that he slept without a shirt on. However, seeing his pale skin and his sculpted abs still took her breath away.  
Hermione got up and followed him into his room. She was surprised by the tidiness of it. She was used to Ron and Harry who kept their areas quite the opposite of tidy.  
"Sleep in my bed. I'll make a cot for this evening and we can figure it out more in the daylight." he ordered, grabbing his wand from a bedside table.  
"Nonsense, Draco. I can sleep on a cot. It's your room." Hermione protested.  
"Don't be an idiot." he huffed, pointing her to his bed.  
She nodded, giving up. She was too tired to protest for tonight. She climbed into his bed, realizing that it was much more comfier than expected. His green and silver sheets, like a true Slytherin, were soft and warm.  
She watched him look around the room, deciding what to transfigure into a cot.  
"Draco... don't be an idiot." she called out to him.  
He turned to look at her as she pointed next to her on the bed.  
"Granger... I-" he started.  
"Nonsense." she repeated. "It's your room, it's your bed. Come on."  
He looked around the room for a moment before deciding to give in. She could tell he was exhausted.  
"Fine. But... we don't tell anyone. If anyone knew that I had a mud... that I had you in my bed..." he trailed off.  
Hermione understood. She was too tired to make a fuss about him almost calling her a mudblood.  
"Of course." Hermione murmured back, already feeling herself drifting off.  
"Goodnight, Hermione." he said softly.  
** . . .**  
Draco heard Hermione mumble back goodnight softly. He could tell that she was already falling asleep.  
He couldn't believe that he was lying next to Hermione Granger in a bed.  
He heard the soft sounds of her breathing and wanted to smile.  
Malfoys didn't do this. Malfoys didn't invite muggleborns into their beds. Draco Malfoy especially did not continually think about Hermione Granger.  
He shouldn't feel content with her lying next to him.  
He shouldn't.  
But he did.  
The next morning, Draco opened his eyes feeling more rested than ever. He heard a soft sigh from his left side and then remembered that Hermione was lying next to him.  
He turned over to look at her. She was facing him, her eyes closed. He suddenly realized how close they were as he let his eyes travel down to her lips. They looked so soft.  
He shouldn't be looking at her lips.  
He shouldn't even be thinking about looking at her lips.  
I'm going mad. I'm mad, he thought. Draco reached out and tucked a free strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his finger tips gently graze her cheek. He noticed her smile softly in her sleep, as she let out another quiet sigh.  
He smiled at her, glad that she wasn't awake to see it.  
He quietly hopped out of bed and scooted around to his wardrobe, gathering his school robes and pulling them on. He couldn't believe that he was dressing in front of Hermione Granger.  
"Malfoy?" he heard her mumble from behind him as he was putting on his tie.  
He turned to her just in time to see her sit up and rub her eyes.  
"Granger." he said softly.  
"What day is it?"  
He chuckled to himself as he realized she was cute when she was tired like this. Then he stopped himself immediately, as he realized that he'd just thought of Granger as cute.  
"It's Saturday." he told her, picking up his wand and shoving it into his pocket.  
"Oh, brilliant." she yawned.  
He turned to her, seeing her get out of bed. He instantly remembered the way it had felt when he had held her last night in her room.  
"Listen, I'm going to get some breakfast. I guess I'll... see you later." he said quickly, exiting the room as if he was trying to escape.  
"Wait." Hermione called out, stopping him in the middle of the doorframe.  
He turned to her and watched her walk over to him. She stood in front of him for a moment, biting her lip.  
"Yes?" he said.  
**. . .**  
Hermione bit her lip, standing directly in front of Draco Malfoy.  
"Yes?" he said again.  
She stepped closer and quickly threw her arms around his neck, hugging him closely. She felt him hesitantly wrap his own arms around her waist, pressing her against him.  
"Thank you." she whispered quietly.  
She felt him pull her even tighter and she smiled in spite of herself. She was beyond confused by the way Draco was being with her this year. It had started off as per usual, but now...  
She never dreamed that she could even possibly be hugging Draco Malfoy.  
She pulled away and looked at him. She felt his hands linger on her hips for a few longer moments than necessary. She hoped to Merlin that she wasn't blushing  
"Of course." he said, smirking at her.  
"Do... do you maybe want to do some homework later tonight together?" she asked hesitantly.  
"Yeah... yeah, sure." he responded with a slight smile. "See you, Granger."  
"See you."  
He turned around and quickly headed out of the room, leaving Hermione to herself. She couldn't believe that she'd woken up to Draco Malfoy. She'd sworn she felt something touch her face, and she'd awoken just as Draco was hopping out of bed.  
"Potty. Weasel." she heard Draco say from the common room.  
"Malfoy." she heard them respond gruffly.  
Hermione smoothed down her wild hair and stepped out of Draco's room. She stepped into the Common Room, watching Draco walk out the entrance as Harry and Ron walked in. She had forgotten that they were dropping by this morning.  
"Bloody hell, Hermione. How are you managing to live with him?" Ron groaned, plopping himself down on the couch.  
Hermione felt her face brighten.  
"I'm... managing." she said quietly.  
"He's such a prat." Ron mumbled.  
"Listen, I've only just woken. Give me a minute to put some proper clothes on, alright?" she instructed, heading quickly into her room.  
Sooner rather than later, she was dressed. She had used a spell on her hair, to smooth it down so it wouldn't be the usual bushy mess that it was. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't for her homework date with Draco tonight.  
Except it wasn't a date. They were merely Head Boy and Head Girl who were going to do homework together.  
She finally stepped back out into the Common Room to interrupt Harry and Ron who were enthralled in a conversation about Quidditch, as per usual.  
"Blimey, Hermione. You look great." Harry chirped, smiling at her.  
She grinned and blushed a tad at the compliment. She looked at Ron who was simply staring at her, his own face red.  
"Ron?" she laughed.  
"Harry's right." he grumbled, turning away and focusing on a spot on the floor.  
"Some sort of occasion?" Harry laughed.  
She blushed. "No." she said quietly.  
"Hermione, before you say anything about what you want to do today, I'm just making it clear that we are not going to the sodding library." Ron established firmly. "It's Saturday."  
Hermione sunk down onto the red arm chair and crossed her arms, frowning.  
"Fine." she huffed.  
"Let's go to Hogsmeade." Harry suggested.  
They ventured to Hogsmeade and spent the day there, sipping Butterbeers in the 3 Broomsticks. It was a perfect day for Hermione really. She was getting along with Ron, there wasn't an absurd amount of Quidditch talk, and none of them asked her about living with Draco.  
Though she did think about him quite a lot.  
**. . .**  
Draco was sitting nervously in his room.  
Why was he nervous?  
He was only going to do homework with Hermione Granger. It was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake. He shouldn't be so nervous. She was a know it all. A homework obsessed, Harry Potter loving, muggleborn.  
Except she was absolutely beautiful.  
Inside and out.  
Draco groaned as he shoved his head into his hands. Hermione and him did homework together all the time, just sitting in silence across from one another. But tonight was different. Tonight it was a set date.  
Except... it wasn't a date. It shouldn't be a date. It couldn't be a date.  
He stood up, swallowed his pride, and walked out of his room and into the common room. He saw her sitting upon her usual arm chair, though something looked different.  
Her hair was less bushy, and more silky. It looked smooth.  
She looked beautiful.  
"Granger." he greeted her as he walked to sit upon the couch across from her.  
She looked up at him and smiled.  
"Hello, Malfoy. I didn't know if you were in or not." she said with a smile.  
"Well, here I am." he huffed.  
He knew he sounded like a prat and he immediately cursed himself as she watched her smile falter a bit.  
"What do you want to work on first?" he asked, hoping to bring back her smile.  
"Well... I was thinking we could work on that Transfiguration essay. Or maybe the Potions essay that Professor Snape gave us yesterday. Merlin, that sounded complicated. Though, Transfiguration did sound a little tricky as well-"  
"Hermione." he cut her off. "Transfiguration is fine."  
She blushed a little and pulled a fresh piece of parchment out and plopped it in front of her on the table.  
"Come sit over here, Granger. If we want to help each other out, we need to be able to read each others." he instructed.  
He noticed her smile and look down at the ground.  
"Wow." she said with a laugh.  
"What?"  
"It's just... this is nice. Harry and Ron always just ask me to do their homework for them. Hardly ever work on it together." she explained, sitting down next to him.  
"Well, that hardly seems fair." he admitted.  
She shook her head. "Not really, but I don't usually mind."  
They did their homework quietly together for a long time until he noticed Hermione start to yawn.  
"You're tired." he observed.  
"I am." she admitted.  
"Well, so am I. Let's head off to bed, okay?" he told her.  
She nodded and they gathered up their things.  
"Granger... just come in when you're ready. Okay?" Draco said softly.  
"Really?"  
"Of course. We've gotta see if this'll work for a night." Draco told her.  
She nodded and headed into her room. Draco followed suit and headed into his own room. He wasn't sure what he should sleep in. He always slept in his boxers, for the exception of last night when he'd worn the random pants that he'd found.  
He decided that sleeping in a pair of track pants with no shirt was acceptable. Hermione had seen him without a shirt every night since school had started.  
A few minute later, he heard a knock on his door and waved it open with his wand. Hermione was standing in plaid bottoms and a pale blue cotton t-shirt. His eyes immediately went to the word on her arm. This didn't go unnoticed.  
"Do you want me to put a sweater on?" she offered.  
He shook his head, feeling overwhelming guilty due to what his Aunt had caused.  
They got into bed without another word on the same sides as the night previous.  
"Draco?" she whispered in the darkness.  
"Yeah." he answered.  
"You're different this year. It's out of character for you to be this kind to me." she said quietly.  
"People can change." he admitted.  
You've changed me, he thought.  
"Are we... friends?" she asked.  
He felt unwanted disappointment by her words. He didn't want to be friend-zoned by Hermione Granger of all people.  
"Sure." he decided. "Friends."  
"Or..." she started.  
"Yeah." he said, hoping that they were on the same page.  
"Good night, Draco."  
"Sweet dreams, Hermione."

**Author's Note: **Please read and review! any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** I'm very happy to see that people are reading! Please review! xx

**Chapter Five**  
Hermione woke up feeling well rested and content. She fluttered open her sleepy eyes and looked around. She remembered that she was in Draco's room.  
And she'd slept without a dream of Bellatrix!  
It had worked!  
She smiled to herself and widened her eyes. She tried to turn herself over to face Draco and share her enthusiasm when she realized that she couldn't. Draco's arms were locked tightly around her waist, holding her close to him. Hermione held her breath; she wasn't sure what to do next. Should she try and move? Should she wake him up? Or should she just wait until he wakes up and pretend to sleep?  
As much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt blissful with his arms around her.  
Hermione didn't get a chance to decide what to do next because she suddenly heard Draco mumble from behind her. She felt the softness of his breath on her neck and it made her tingly.  
"Hermione?" he mumbled, sleepily.  
She was silent. She couldn't think with him this close to her.  
"Hermione." he whispered. "You're beautiful."  
She felt his arms tighten around her waist and pull her closer to him ever so slightly. She could hardly breathe. He'd just called her beautiful. She didn't know what to do. He most definitely thought she was asleep. How had they even ended up like this?  
"Draco." she decided to mumble back sleepily.  
Suddenly, there came a knock from far away. It was the entrance to their common room. Hermione wasn't expecting any visitors. Neither of them moved for a moment, not sure how to deal with the way they were lying.  
He groaned and let go of her waist, racing out of the bed and the room. A few moments later, Hermione heard the voices of Blaise Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle.  
"Oi, Malfoy. You just getting up?" Blaise said, edging closer and closer to the room.  
"Just, wait out here while I put some clothes on." Draco said, entering the room again and shutting the door behind him.  
He just stared at her for a moment. She sat up, staring back.  
"Well... just stay in here until we leave." he said quietly.  
"Why?" Hermione asked.  
"Because, it'd look a little weird if they saw us come out of the same room." Draco explained.  
Hermione agreed. It would look a little odd. And technically, it wasn't allowed.  
"Right, of course." Hermione agreed.  
"Besides, if they knew that I was sharing my bed with a mud-"  
Draco stopped himself, his skin paling even more. Hermione felt her heart drop. After the moment they'd just had, he was really going to call her a mudblood again?  
She stood up quickly, throwing the covers off of her.  
"With what, Draco? With a mudblood? With Hermione Granger, the mudblood?" Hermione yelled, unwanted angry tears springing to her eyes.  
"No, Granger, I-" he started.  
"You what, _Malfoy_? You didn't mean it? I thought we'd come past that!" she yelled, walking over to him and shoving him with her hand.  
"We have, I..." he said, seeming to be at a loss for words.  
"Save it." she said, angrily.  
She tried to walk past him to the door, but he stopped her with his arm.  
"Hermione, Hermione, stop!" he begged.  
"Why? Why should I?" she cried, angry tears spilling over onto her cheeks.  
"Because! Because..." he started.  
"Malfoy, hurry up!" Blaise called from the other room.  
Draco looked at the door, looking pained. Hermione was confused. Beyond confused.  
"Granger, can we please just talk later?" he sighed.  
Hermione pouted without meaning to. She wanted to talk to him right now. She wanted to sort out what was happening with them.  
"Fine." she huffed, wiping a tear and crossing her arms.  
** . . .**  
Draco didn't know how to make this right, but he felt like he absolutely had to. The way he'd woken up with her this morning...  
He wasn't even sure how'd they got into that position, but he knew that he never wanted to sleep without her again.  
He realized that if his family found out about his continually growing affection for Hermione Granger, he'd be considered the worst blood traitor to ever live. He'd be a disgrace to the Malfoy name. They'd probably both be killed.  
Though, right now he didn't care about that. RIght now all he cared about was the hurt look on Hermione's face.  
"Hermione... I just have to go. And then later tonight, we'll talk more. I promise." he said. "Just, please don't cry."  
Hermione just stared at him. Draco was desperate to know what she was thinking.  
"Fine." she repeated, sitting back down on the bed. "Well, get a move on. Get dressed. I'd like to leave this room."  
He nodded slowly at her. "I'll look away. Don't want my mudblood eyes to stain you."  
He felt a pang in his own heart as he found what he wanted to wear. _She should never refer to herself as a mudblood,_ he thought. He dressed quickly and turned back to her, finding her staring at the ground.  
"Granger. You can look now."  
She looked up with her wide brown eyes, still tear-filled. Draco walked over to her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to stand close to him. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead while simultaneously wiping a tear from her cheek. He looked down to see her blush.  
He wanted to do so much more than kiss her forehead.  
"Bye, Hermione." he said quietly.  
Draco left the room, walking out to his friends. His "friends", as he liked to think of them. Draco didn't really have any true friends. Though... Hermione could be.  
"What took you so long?" Blaise asked.  
Draco said nothing and simply kept walking out of the room, with his "friends" trailing behind.  
** . . .**  
Hermione was left in Draco's room, her face still pink from the kiss upon her forehead.  
What had just happened?  
One minute, he'd been about to call her a mudblood and the next he was kissing her on the forehead.  
Hermione was beyond confused. She was hurt, frustrated, happy, confused and giddy all at the same time.  
Over Draco sodding Malfoy!  
Hermione needed to clear her head. She needed to get out of his room. Once she was sure that the four boys had left, she quickly went to her own room.  
Once ready for the day, Hermione headed quickly to the library, heading to her usual back table. This was where she spent a lot of her alone time in the previous years. She immersed herself in her school work, hoping to forget about Draco Malfoy.  
But, alas, even the most complicated Arthimancy questions couldn't keep her mind from wondering.  
"Hermione!" she heard Ginny say from above her.  
She looked up to see the red headed girl sit down across from her with a big smile upon her face.  
"What's got you so happy?" Hermione asked.  
Ginny grinned at her. "Harry's just asked me out."  
"What?!" Hermione yelled with excitement.  
Ginny had been in love with Harry for as long as Hermione had known her.  
"Yeah! He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him next weekend, just the two of us!" Ginny explained.  
"Oh, Ginny! That's fabulous, truly! I'm so happy for you! See! I told you that it just took time!" Hermione bubbled.  
Ginny was positively beaming, and Hermione was truly happy for her.  
"Are there any boys you're interested in this year, Hermione? I mean, if it's Ron still... well, spare me the details." Ginny asked.  
Hermione thought about her answer. "Hm... well... I'm not entirely sure actually."  
"No?"  
"Well, I don't think the same thing with Ron is there this year. After Lavender last year... I don't know... things just sort of... fell apart, you know? My feelings aren't really the same." Hermione explained slowly, realizing that it was entirely the truth.  
Her feelings for Ron were strictly of the best friend nature now.  
"And is there anyone else?"  
"We'll see." Hermione said shyly, looking back at her books.  
"Oh, well that's exciting enough! Keep me posted."  
"I will!"  
Ginny explained that she had to go meet Luna and rushed off hurriedly. Hermione stayed the day in the library until it was dinner, where she met Harry and Ron and enjoyed a nice meal. Though, all throughout the day, Draco was on her mind.  
That night, she was sitting on her armchair, staring into space, when Draco entered the room.  
"Granger."  
**. . .**  
"Malfoy." she responded.  
Draco was momentarily stunned by how beautiful she looked just sitting there. He was amazed that he'd never noticed it until this year.  
He'd prepared a whole thing that he was going to say to her when he saw her. He was going to explain that he was wrong to have kissed her like that and held her close, even if accidentally, and that she was a mudblood who needed to leave him alone for the rest of their duties as Head Boy and Girl.  
But then he saw her, and all of that went out the window.  
"You should never call yourself a mudblood again. You aren't a mudblood." he spat out, walking over to her.  
"Malfoy, you've called me a sodding mudblood for years on end!"  
"And, I'm sorry for that."  
She raised an eyebrow at him. Draco felt himself blush and he looked at the ground while walking over to sit on the table in front of her.  
"Really?" she asked.  
"Of course I am. Granger... have you not noticed how different things are for us this year?" Draco sighed.  
She nodded eagerly. "Of course. It's completely different. Everything changed that first night you came into my room and woke me up. I mean, you've been a prat since then, obviously. You're still a Malfoy."  
Draco nodded at her. He noticed that today she'd left her hair down and natural. It still appeared bushy, but he knew that in reality it was soft. She looked much more well rested than he'd ever seen her since they started school.  
Then it occurred to him.  
"You didn't dream last night!" Draco explained, a smile on his face.  
By the small smile on Hermione's face, he knew that she'd already realized that long ago.  
"Yeah." she said, still with her little smile. "Your theory worked."  
Draco couldn't help but grin widely at her. The kind of grin that he rarely showed. The kind of grin that he'd only even shown her when she was sleeping. It brought out a smile on her face. A bright, beautiful smile.  
"I'd like to continue to stay in your bed for a while. I mean, just so I can get some more sleep. One night of good sleep isn't just going to cut it." Hermione said politely.  
Draco nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."  
He didn't want her to sleep anywhere besides with him. He was still unsure as to how he'd ended up with his arms around her. All he knew was that it felt amazing to have her in his arms.  
**. . .**  
Hermione stared at Draco. She felt unexpected tears form in her eyes yet again. She wanted to cry. She wanted to smile. She wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation between her and Draco.  
"Hermione?" he whispered.  
Her tear filled eyes didn't go unnoticed.  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco asked, leaning closer to her.  
"It's all so much, you know? It's just all so much." she blubbered, feeling utterly pathetic and vulnerable.  
"Granger, what is?" he said soothingly.  
She shook her head. She didn't want to completely fall apart and open up to Draco like she had no other. Not just yet. She wanted to trust him more first. She needed to.  
"I'm tired." she whispered, weakly.  
Draco nodded at her. Hermione felt more tears slide down her cheeks. She heard him faintly ask if she wanted something to eat or drink and she shook her head quickly.  
She couldn't understand why she was falling apart like this. The old Hermione would never had fallen apart. Bellatrix Lestrange had taken a piece of her. She was different now.  
"Let's just get you into bed, I guess." Draco mumbled, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her towards his room.  
Hermione pulled her wand out of her robes and flicked it towards her room. "Accio pajamas." she mumbled.  
They zoomed into Draco's room and he looked away politely while she dressed. She collapsed onto his bed and hurried beneath the covers. She was silent, slowing her breath and stopping her sobs. She looked away from Draco, but kept her eyes open.  
"Hermione?" he whispered, a few minutes later.  
She couldn't force herself to answer. She wanted to see if he'd say anything else if he thought she was asleep. Like this morning when he'd said she was beautiful.  
"Hermione." he repeated softly.  
She felt his hand brush against her cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to fight the tingles she felt at his touch.  
"I'm so sorry." he whispered.  
He must be referring to almost calling her a Mudblood this morning.  
"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me. I can't take it." he murmured, softly.  
**. . .**  
Draco stripped down to his pants and climbed into bed. He looked at the back of Hermione's head and sighed. He just wanted his arms to be around her again, but he knew that he shouldn't. He imagined her face. She looked so peaceful when she slept.  
"I'm... so sorry." he whispered again, turning away from her and facing the other way.  
A few moments later, he felt her move behind him.  
"I'm not mad." he heard her whisper.  
She hadn't been asleep. Draco knew that his face had gone red. Thank Merlin that he hadn't said anything too honest. He was happy that she hadn't been awake to hear him call her beautiful this morning. He assumed that she thought he was asleep, so he said nothing.  
Instead, he turned back to her with closed eyes. He reached out under the covers, moving his hand around and searching for hers. Once he found it, he took her cold, soft hand in his and squeezed it. For a moment, he was afraid that she would move and let go.  
But she didn't.

**Author's Note: **I hope people are enjoying this! Please review! It means loads! xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

**Author's Note:** I hope you all will enjoy this chapter! I am again quite pleased that people are reading! Reviews will be highly appreciated!

**Chapter Six**  
A few more months past, and it was time for Christmas break. Dumbledore and Hermione had decided that it would not be safe for Hermione to go visit her parents, as the whereabouts of Bellatrix Lestrange were unknown. Hermione didn't want to put her parents at risk, so she agreed to stay here.  
Ron had offered for her to accompany him and Harry to The Burrow for the holidays, and she'd told them she'd think about it. She would like to go, but at the same time, she thought she could use the time to catch up on her schoolwork. She missed spending time with Ron and Harry. Though she did spend a fair bit of time with them now, it was not as much as before. Seventh Year was harder than ever and there was so much schoolwork and work as Head Girl to do.  
Draco and Hermione had continued their sleeping arrangement, to which Hermione was grateful. She hadn't had a dream the entire time they'd been sharing a sleeping space.  
Draco and her had been increasingly civil, though they did have quite the argument here and there. There had been no more mention of the word Mudblood from either end of them. Their arguments were infrequent and resolved quickly. There had been no more kisses on the forehead, or kisses anywhere, much to Hermione's dismay. She felt her affections for Draco Malfoy growing each and everyday. Quite often, she'd feel the word love floating about her brain before she could quickly push it away. She knew that there was barely any use denying it though.  
"What are you doing for the holidays?" Hermione asked Draco one day as they sat in their common room.  
"Staying here." he mumbled, barely looking away from the book he was reading.  
Hermione had discovered that Draco liked to read a lot, though far less than she did.  
"What about your mother?" she asked, hesitantly.  
** . . .**  
Draco looked up from his book. The question had taken him aback. They didn't speak about either of their families, except for in the early days when they'd had to talk about his Aunt Bellatrix.  
"We both decided that I should stay here." he explained, not wanting to go into any more detail.  
His mother had informed him that he shouldn't come home this year, as they'd originally planned. She didn't want to see him at the moment. Draco knew that she loved him very much, but he figured that she had her reasons for not wanting him to come home.  
"Oh." was all Hermione said.  
_Tell her, Draco. Tell her, Draco. Tell her, Draco_, a voice said in his head.  
It was the voice that he'd been fighting almost everyday for quite some time now. The thought that he was in love with Hermione Granger kept floating about his brain, but he couldn't quite admit it, let alone accept it.  
He was in denial of the obvious.  
"What about you?"  
"Well, Harry and Ron have asked me to the Burrow, but I really don't think I'm going to go." she explained with a sigh.  
_Stupid Potter and Weasley_, he thought darkly.  
"Why not?"  
"I'm not feeling very spirited this year. I wanted to go see my mum and dad, but... Dumbledore thought it wouldn't be good for their safety. Or mine." she explained quietly.  
He knew that she was talking about Bellatrix. Her whereabouts were always unpredictable. Hermione may never be completely safe again.  
"Oh." he said, again feeling overwhelmingly guilty at what Bellatrix had done to her.  
"Maybe we could just... celebrate together." she suggested, quietly.  
He looked at her again. She was looking at him with a cautious, yet hopeful expression upon her face. Hermione had grown to be his one true friend, though this was not something either one of them advertised.  
"Sure." he drawled with a smile.  
Hermione smiled back at him before looking down at her schoolwork.  
_Merlin, she's beautiful_, Draco thought for the billionth time that day.  
** . . .**  
A few days later, Hermione had wished Harry, Ron and Ginny a very happy Christmas. She'd seen them off and hugged them all tightly.  
Now, it was Christmas Eve and she was sitting in Draco's room with her work spread out in front of her. It wasn't really just Draco's room anymore. A whole load of her things were in there, more and more accumulating over time.  
_"Should old acquaintance be forgot_  
_ and never brought to mind_  
_ Should old acquaintance be forget_  
_ and auld lang syne..."_  
Hermione was singing an old Christmas tune written as a poem by a Scottish muggle. It was one of her favourites to hear at this time of year when she was home with her mum and dad.  
"Wow, Granger." Draco interrupted.  
Hermione stopped her singing as an immediate blush rose to her cheeks. She looked up at the doorframe to find Draco leaning against it with his arms crossed.  
"Oh, I... thought you were out." Hermione said, embarrassed.  
"I came back." he said, eyebrows raised with a smirk on his face.  
"Please, don't make fun of my atrocious butchering of a muggle tune, alright? I'm a little homesick." she sighed, gathering up her work and looking at him, with rosy cheeks.  
"It is an odd tune, and not good, because it's a muggle thing, obviously." he started, to which Hermione rolled her eyes. "But, that sounded great, really. You've got a very lovely voice."  
"R-really?" she stammered, feeling more embarrassed by the second.  
He nodded and came into the room to sit by Hermione on the bed.  
"Yeah. Sounded beautiful."  
Hermione bit her lip and smiled down at the bed.  
"Well, I came to get you, because it's time for the feast for the remaining few who are left at Hogwarts." Draco explained.  
Hermione sighed. "Right." she nodded.  
"And since there's barely any of us, besides the teachers, maybe we could..."  
"Sit together? Of course, Draco." Hermione finished for him with a smile.  
They made their way to the Great Hall, finding the four tables gone, replaced with a single table down the center. The teacher's table was still there, though it was vacant. The staff was huddled around the top half of the table, with Professor Dumbledore at the head. There were a few random students at the table, each sitting quietly by themselves.  
"Ah! Miss. Granger! Mr. Malfoy! How lovely of you to join us!" Dumbledore called out.  
Hermione smiled brightly at the Headmaster and noticed Draco attempt a small wave. Hermione caught the suspicious eye of Professor Snape and she immediately looked away. She knew that he was not a fan of hers.  
Hermione and Draco sat with one another at the tail end of the table, quite far away from the Professors and with a distinct distance from the other students, a few who were chatting merrily with each other and the Professors now.  
Hermione looked at Draco and noticed that he seemed tense.  
"Relax, Draco." Hermione laughed.  
"I'm relaxed." he lied.  
Hermione was about to tell him to stop lying when she heard Dumbledore clap his hands. She turned her attention to him immediately, and she saw Draco roll his eyes at her. She gently hit his arm and he turned to look at the Headmaster.  
"Thank you for everyone who came to this evening's feast! I won't keep you from your eating, but I will say that I am glad you are a part of our Hogwarts family! Happy Christmas, and may you enjoy yourself and one another!"  
With a clap of his hands, the glorious amounts of food appeared on the table. Hermione's face lit up and she looked at Draco. He was smirking, trying to hide a smile no doubt.  
** . . .**  
Draco looked at the smile beaming off of Hermione's face. He thought of her wonderful singing earlier and couldn't contain his smile. They ate with each other, being able to enjoy sitting with each other in public. Draco noticed the stares of Severus Snape, but he either glared back, or just ignored him.  
Later that night, Hermione and Draco were sitting on their common room couch. Draco was becoming entranced in the sound of her laugh. He grinned at her and laughed, throwing his head back. No one had ever been able to make him smile and laugh as much as Hermione had in the months since school started.  
"Will you get many presents tomorrow?" Hermione asked with the traces of her previous laugh in her voice.  
Draco shrugged, still smiling. "No idea. I'm sure my mum will have sent me something. Something punctual and weird. Maybe Aunt Bella-"  
Draco stopped himself. He couldn't believe that he'd brought up Bellatrix like that. He was such an idiot. He looked at Hermione. Her smile had faltered.  
"Hermione, I'm sorry, I -" he started.  
"Draco, it's okay. Don't worry. You're right. She probably will send you something." Hermione said, a small smile on her face.  
Draco reached forward instinctively and grabbed her hand. "And we can burn it together." he beamed.  
Hermione laughed softly. "Yes."  
"Will you get many gifts?"  
"Well, I'm sure my mum and dad will send me something. As well as Ron and Ginny and Harry. Oh, and Mrs. Weasley always gives me something." Hermione explained, smiling at him.  
Draco nodded, slowly. He couldn't help but get a weird feeling in his chest. He wished that he had as many people in his life that cared about him like Hermione had.  
"Well... that's kind." he decided.  
"Yes, I suppose it is. I've spent more time with her family and Harry than I have my own since starting Hogwarts, you know." she explained.  
Draco nodded again. He was thinking about the present he was going to give her tomorrow. He hoped so bad that she would like it. It was all he really wanted. To give her something that would bright up the beautiful smile on her face.  
"What's going on with you and the Weasel?" Draco asked, unexpectedly.  
He'd even surprised himself with saying that. He looked at Hermione. Her eyes were widened. She took a breath.  
"Ron? Well... nothing. Ron is and will forever be one of my best friends. I won't deny having a thing for him in the past, but now... nothing. Nothing at all." she said.  
Draco believed her, and he felt relief at this fact.  
"What about you and Potter?"  
Hermione laughed. "Oh, Merlin no! The thought of me and Harry is actually repulsive to me. He's too much like a brother."  
Draco felt another wave of relief wash through him as he smiled at her.  
"I do wish that you would be kind to them, Draco." she said.  
He rolled his eyes. He knew that she already knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. He just generally disliked them.  
"It's getting late, you know." Hermione said with a yawn.  
They always went to bed around the same time. If he left Hermione alone too long, they were both worried that she'd dream of Bellatrix.  
"Yeah." he answered.  
They made their way into his room and went to their separate organizations of clothes. Draco changed into his sleeping pants and turned to look at Hermione. She was standing in her familiar plaid bottoms and light blue t-shirt. He had grown accustomed to the word on her arm, though every time he saw it, he instantly felt sick with guilt and horror.  
Hermione walked over to Draco and smiled at him.  
"What?" he smirked.  
"It's after midnight, Draco Malfoy." she beamed.  
He looked down at her and was suddenly aware of how close they were standing. He reached forward to tuck a strand of brown hair behind her ear.  
"Is that right, Hermione Granger?" he smiled with a short laugh.  
She nodded eagerly, smiling with excitement.  
Draco wanted nothing more than to kiss her.  
"Merry Christmas, Draco." she whispered.  
"Merry Christmas, Hermione."  
** . . .**  
Hermione felt her stomach flip as Draco took another step towards her. His hand was gently touching her cheek, and she felt her heart beating loudly in her chest.  
All she wanted was to kiss him.  
She stepped closer to Draco, until there was barely any space left between them. He suddenly cupped her face in his hands. He leaned down towards her and she closed her eyes.  
When their lips finally met, Hermione felt happier than she'd ever felt in the entirety of her life. She let her hands travel up and lock around his neck. She noticed him drop one of his hands and take her waist, pulling her close against him. She was in utter bliss.  
Hermione sighed into the kiss without breaking away. She felt his lips turn upwards in what must have been a smile. She wanted to break away to see it, but at the same time, the last thing she wanted to do was break away.  
She could spend the rest of her life being happy and kissing Draco Malfoy.  
Finally, they both broke away breathless.  
"Wow, Granger." he said with a smile.  
She felt him lock his hands around her waist and pull her against him with a grin.  
She merely giggled and placed her forehead against his chest. She felt him begin to stroke her hair softly and she smiled again  
"I've wanted to do that for a long time, Hermione." he admitted.  
She looked up at him, letting her eyes pour into his own.  
"So have I." she whispered back.  
** . . .**  
Draco couldn't believe that he'd finally kissed Hermione.  
Finally.  
It was almost all he thought about. It was even more magical than he'd imagined.  
By kissing Hermione, he'd created the finality of the battle that had been going on in his mind for ages.  
He was choosing Hermione.  
He was choosing good.  
He knew by doing this, he'd be endangering himself and her. He'd be branding himself the worst blood traitor to ever be associated with. He'd be changing the course of his entire life.  
But it would be worth it.  
He'd had to talk to Hermione about the danger that she would be in. If she wasn't comfortable with it, than he'd of course put her safety first. But, he was really falling in love with her.  
More in love. Every. Single. Moment.  
He guided her onto his bed and held her close in his arms. Since the first time they'd woken up like that, it had happened quite a few more number of times. Neither one of them ever commented on it, or knew how it happened, but it just did.  
He kissed her lips again and felt all of his senses tingle. He could spend forever kissing Hermione Granger. He kissed her and kissed her until he felt breathless. And then he kissed her some more.  
Hermione just moved closer and closer to him, their legs intertwining beneath the covers. She eagerly kissed him back, smiling occasionally.  
Draco wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to so badly.  
But he didn't want to ruin this moment.  
What if she hadn't been feeling the same things that he had all these months?  
But, surely she had been. She was snogging him back after all.  
Hermione broke away and nuzzled herself in Draco's arms and he squeezed her tightly before kissing the top of her head.  
"Remember the day you kissed my forehead?" she murmured a few minutes later, sounding sleepy.  
"Yes." Draco answered, kissing her forehead again.  
"I liked that. But I was angry with you. Because well... you were being a prat. But mainly because, I wanted you to kiss me somewhere else instead." she admitted quietly.  
He smiled to himself and kissed her softly. "As did I."  
Draco sat up and looked at her. He noticed her concern from his sudden movement. She sat up as well.  
"Draco? What is it?" she asked, reaching for his hand.  
He couldn't take it any more. He couldn't hold in the three words he'd been dying to say to her. He couldn't.  
"I love you, Hermione."  
** . . .**  
Hermione felt brilliantly happy tears spring to her eyes. She was so taken aback by Draco's words. She was over the moon that he felt the exact same way she did.  
"I love you, too, Draco." she whispered, smiling.  
He leaned forward, grinning himself, and kissed her enthusiastically.  
"I'm beyond happy that you feel the same, because I am so in love with you, it's ridiculous." he admitted, quietly.  
In the darkness of the room, Hermione could practically hear the smile radiating off of his face.  
"I am so in love with you." was all Hermione could manage to say.  
They lied back down, Hermione content in Draco's arms. It was only just one in the morning on Christmas Day, but it was easily already the best Christmas she'd ever had.

**Author's Note: **Please review! xx Happy Holidays!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing.

**Author's Note:** Reviews have just made my day! Thank you to everyone! xx More reviews are always welcome!

**Chapter Seven**  
Draco awoke the next morning with Hermione sleeping in his arms. As soon as he recalled the memories from last night - rather, early this morning - he smiled. He couldn't believe that he'd finally kissed Hermione. He couldn't believe that he'd finally told her he loved her. He couldn't believe that she'd said it back.  
Draco was happy.  
Something he hadn't been for years and years on end.  
He heard Hermione murmur quietly in her sleep and he kissed her forehead. He watched her eyes flutter open and closed until they were wide and staring at him.  
"Good morning." he whispered to her.  
"Draco." she mumbled.  
"Happy Christmas, Hermione." he said to her, kissing her forehead again.  
She gasped in surprise and then grinned at him.  
"Oh yes! Happy Christmas, Draco!" she exclaimed, pushing her lips upon his with excitement.  
Draco sat up, pulling her with him. They broke away and simultaneously caught sight of the pile of presents at the foot of the bed.  
"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed, biting her lip with excitement.  
Draco watched her face and suddenly tried to picture her as a younger Hermione on Christmas morning. He wondered about how excited she would have been.  
He suddenly wanted to know everything about her.  
"Shall we open them?" Draco asked.  
She nodded quickly and grinned at him. "You open one first!"  
"Why me?" he asked with a laugh.  
"Because. One of my favourite things about Christmas is watching other people open their gifts." she explained.  
Draco felt lucky to have found someone this amazing to be in his life.  
"Well, alright then."  
He reached forward and grabbed a present. Attached to it was a piece of parchment.  
_Draco,_  
_ I am very sorry that you could not come home to the Manor this Christmas. I miss you dearly._  
_ Love,_  
_ Mother_  
"I don't understand." Draco thought out loud.  
"What?" Hermione asked, moving closer to him and reading the quick note from his Mother.  
"I don't understand why she wouldn't let me come home this Christmas." he admitted.  
"She wouldn't let you?" Hermione asked him, concern filling her voice.  
"Yeah." he said simply.  
He tore open the package and discovered a book. A journal. It was leather bound and had the Malfoy crest upon the spine. Inside, there was another note.  
_ Draco,_  
_ This is a set. I have the other one at the Manor. You write in here, and it appears in the other one. It's a way for us to correspond without having to send an owl. I do hope you enjoy it. It'll save us both some time, dear._  
_ Love,_  
_ Mother_  
"Very practical, Mum." he sighed, though he was sort of pleased with the gift.  
"Draco, that's beautiful." Hermione said, running a finger over the spine.  
"Yeah." he sighed again. "You open one now."  
Hermione bit her lip and searched in her pile of gifts. She picked up one wrapped in purple paper and smiled while reading the card. Draco looked over her shoulder and read.  
_Hermione,_  
_ I miss you. Christmas is never the same without you. Hope Malfoy isn't being a prat. See you soon!_  
_ All my love,_  
_ Harry_  
"Well, I hope I'm not being a prat." Draco grumbled.  
Hermione giggled and kissed his cheek, causing a smile to appear upon his face. She tore open the package and uncovered a light brown suede shoulder bag. Hermione gasped with excitement and Draco smiled at the look on her face.  
"Merlin! This must have cost Harry a fortune! How sweet!" she grinned.  
Draco was annoyed with Potter buying her such a nice gift. But, then he remembered what she said. The thought of her and Potter was repulsive.  
They continued alternating opening gifts, with Hermione's pile larger than Draco's as expected.  
Hermione accumulated a knitted Gryffindor coloured scarf from Mrs. Weasley, a bracelet with a circular locket charm from the Weasel, a lengthy letter and two new jumpers from her parents as well as a perfume from the Weaslette.  
Draco had received a scarf from Pansy, which he immediately tossed aside, and a book about Dark Magic from Aunt Bellatrix.  
"We can get rid of this. I don't need it." he said immediately to Hermione upon opening Bellatrix's gift.  
She nodded slowly and grabbed the note that she had attached to it.  
** . . .**  
_Draco, _  
_ I do hope that you're having a nice Christmas. I heard from your mother that you are having to share a space with the Mudblood Granger. If she's giving you too much trouble, just let me know and I'll finish her off for you. Isn't her arm brilliant looking? Now the world will know just who she is. A filthy, little mudblood. Happy Christmas, darling._  
_ Love always,_  
_ Aunt Bella_  
Hermione felt sick upon reading Bellatrix's note. It was hard for her to even fathom anymore that Draco and Bellatrix were related. They were so completely different.  
"Hermione... let's just get rid of both of them, alright? Let's throw them in the fire." he suggested, prying the letter from her hands.  
She nodded, his words sounding distant. Bellatrix could easily kill her. Easily. Hermione felt herself shake and Draco was instantly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.  
"Hermione... it's okay. She won't ever hurt you again. I'll make sure of it, okay?" he whispered into her ear.  
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"Let's not let my stupid Aunt ruin Christmas for us, okay?"  
She nodded again and tried to snap out of it.  
"The Weasel got you a nice gift." Draco commented.  
"Yeah. I honestly don't know how Ron afforded that. And do not make any jokes about him being poor." she thought out loud.  
_Hermione,_  
_ I hope you're having a Merry Christmas. I'm sorry I'm an idiot a lot of the time. Hope you like it._  
_ Love,_  
_ Ron_  
Hermione reread the note with Draco looking over her shoulder.  
"Well... he is an idiot a lot of the time." she agreed with a laugh.  
Draco was silent and Hermione looked at him. "I've got a present for you!" she exclaimed.  
Draco grinned at her. "I've got one for you, too."  
Hermione grinned, touched that he had gotten her a gift. She really hoped that he would like his. He was a hard bloke to shop for.  
"Can I give you yours first?" Hermione asked.  
Draco nodded at her. She got out off of the bed and hurriedly ran out of the room into her own. She located his neatly wrapped gift and carried it back into Draco's room with her. She hopped back onto the bed and handed it to him eagerly.  
He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. She watched him read her note and she interrupted momentarily. "Keep in mind that I wrote it before last night, okay?"  
He nodded and she watched him look down at her words.  
_ Draco,_  
_ I have grown quite fond of you this year. You've changed, and it's really been lovely. I do hope that you like your present, and that you're having a splendid Christmas. You're a great person._  
_ Yours,_  
_ Hermione_  
"Yours." he repeated with a smirk.  
"Oh, shut it." she laughed.  
He tore open her gift and she watched him grin upon viewing it.  
"Hermione..." he said quietly.  
Hermione had gotten him a first edition of _Quidditch: Through the Ages_. He had gone on and on about how he'd wanted the original copy, but could never find it. She'd also talked to Dumbledore and managed to acquire the first Snitch that Draco had ever caught.  
"That's the first Snitch you caught, you know." she explained.  
"I really... I don't know what to say. This is amazing." he said, sounding in shock.  
Hermione grinned, happy that he liked it. He placed the present down and leaned over to kiss her.  
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Hermione. But how did you even...?" he asked once they broke away.  
"Well, the people at Flourish and Blotts like me quite a bit, and managed to track a copy down for me. They say I'm their top customer." she explained.  
"There's no surprise there." he chuckled.  
"And as for the Snitch... I talked to Professor Dumbledore. He seemed quite surprised that I wanted to get you something like this, but he agreed." she explained.  
"It's really very very nice of you." he said, leaning over and kissing her again.  
"I love you." Hermione said simply, the words flowing naturally off of her tongue.  
"I love you, too." he grinned.  
He passed her his present and she immediately read the note attached.  
_ Hermione,_  
_ I really do hope that you have a lovely Christmas. You're splendid, Hermione. Spending all this time with you these months have really opened my eyes. I know who I want to be now. I want to be a better person. I'd like to think that I've already made a start. Happy Christmas, Hermione. I hope it's all you imagined it to be._  
_ Yours,_  
_ Draco_  
"Yours." Hermione repeated, just as he had. She felt her eyes water in happy tears. She was happy that he had thought this much of her. The note alone was just so sweet.  
"Of course." he said with a smile.  
Hermione tore open the packaging to find a book and another box. She turned the book over to find a first edition of _Hogwarts: A History_.  
"Oh, Draco!" she squealed.  
"Great minds think alike, I guess." he said happily, smiling at her.  
"I've always wanted this, Draco. Thank you!"  
"I know you have. You're always reading that bloody book."  
She gently swatted at his arm and smiled before placing a kiss upon his cheek. Then she opened the box and gasped in surprise.  
Inside the box was a gold necklace with a G charm at the end encrusted with diamonds.  
"Holy..." she trailed off, lifting it out of the box and resting the charm on her palm.  
"G for Gryffindor, G for Granger." he explained, smiling at her.  
"Draco... it's so beautiful. This is the most thoughtful gift I've ever received! Thank you, so much!" she exclaimed. "Put it on me?"  
Draco grinned and nodded. He took the necklace from her hands and sat behind her. He lifted her hair up from her neck and Hermione felt chills. She bit her lip with excitement. Once he'd fastened the clasp, she turned to him, kissing him enthusiastically.  
"D-do you like it?" he asked.  
She nodded quickly. "Draco, I love it!"  
He smiled, pulling her in for a hug.  
** . . .**  
"After all you went through, I just wanted you to have a marvelous Christmas." he explained shyly.  
"This has been my best Christmas ever." she said.  
Draco grinned at her, so happy that she liked his present. He was amazed by hers. She must have gone through so much trouble to get it. It was the most thoughtful gift he'd ever received.  
He stood up, pulling her with him. Once standing, he pulled her in for a slow, passionate kiss. He would kiss her every moment of every day if he could.  
"Come on. We have some burning to do." he whispered, reaching down on the bed and picking up Bellatrix's present.  
She nodded slowly, her eyes full of fear and concern. They made their way into the Common Room and headed to the fire place.  
"Would you like to do the honours?" he asked Hermione.  
She was silent. He looked down at her and noticed a few tears slipping down her cheeks.  
"Hey, hey... no crying. It's Christmas." he whispered, wiping a tear off of her cheek.  
"I know, I know... it's just... what if she comes for me?" she whispered.  
Her voice reminded Draco of all the times he had woken her up while she was screaming. Bellatrix had done a number on her emotionally.  
"She won't. And if she does... well, she'll have to go through me first." he vowed.  
"But, Draco... she's your Aunt."  
"And you're my..." he started, not really sure what to call her. Was she his girlfriend? He'd never had a serious labelled girlfriend before. "You're Hermione. I wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt you."  
She nodded, sniffling quietly. Draco pulled her in for a hug, grateful again for the turn of events last night. He kissed her forehead and held her close.  
"Come on. Let's do it together, then." he whispered.  
They held Bellatrix's letter in their hands.  
"One... two... three!" Draco called out slowly.  
They dropped the letter simultaneously into the fire, watching it burn. He noticed a whimpering sound come from Hermione. He swung his arm around her and pulled her close to him.  
"Ready?" he asked and she nodded immediately.  
"One... two... three!" he repeated.  
They dropped the book in the fire and watched it slowly start to burn. A few puffs of black smoke and low screams came from it. Draco didn't even want to know the contents of it.  
"Wait right here." Draco said.  
He quickly ran into his room, grabbing the blankets and pillows off of his bed. Next, he went into Hermione's room and did the same. He made his way back over to her, placing them all on the ground.  
"What... what are you doing?" she asked.  
He arranged the pillows and blankets in front of the fire and pulled Hermoine down onto the floor with him. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. They gazed into the fire and Hermione pulled a blanket over them.  
"This is lovely." she whispered.  
"You're lovely." Draco mumbled shyly.  
They were quiet for a moment, just calmly watching the fire when a funny thought appeared in Draco's mind.  
"Remember when you punched me in the face?" he asked Hermione.  
She exploded into laughter and Draco smiled. That had hurt, and he had hated her for it, but now he was glad that it made her laugh.  
"How times have changed." she murmured after laughing.  
Indeed how they had.

**Author's Note:** I thought that they deserved just having another sweet chapter together! I hope people are enjoying this! Please read & review! xx


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing!

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! Keep 'em coming, please! They mean loads to me. Thanks for reading, everyone! oh, and Happy New Year! I hope the year is brilliant to you all! xx

**Chapter Eight**  
The rest of the break had passed by beautifully for both Hermione and Draco. Of course they'd quarreled from time to time over stupid  
things, but that was just them. They'd mainly stayed in their room together, occasionally coming out for meals and a trip to Hogsmeade. On New Year's Eve, they'd drank champagne in their Common Room by the fire and kissed each other at midnight. They were greatly enjoying their time alone. Their time when they could be free to be seen with one another. The only person they worried about seeing was Professor Snape, but they rarely saw him. Head Boy and Girl duties were relieved over the Holidays, so they had even more time to spend with each other.  
"Draco?" Hermione asked late one morning.  
They just awoken from his bed and Draco was lying with her in his arms. He kissed her forehead gently before answering.  
"Yes?"  
"What's going to happen when everyone comes back today?" she asked quietly.  
Draco had been thinking about that quite a lot. Today was the day when all of Hogwarts returned. He was nervous about it.  
"I... I don't know. I'd been meaning to talk to you about that." he started, sighing.  
They both sat up and stared at each other. Draco moved a strand of hair out of her eyes and he smiled slightly when he noticed her blush.  
"It's dangerous for us to be together, Hermione. But... you're brilliant, so I'm sure you already know that." Draco said.  
Hermione nodded quickly. "Yes, of course I know. It's quite dangerous. For the both of us."  
"So... if you want to end things for your safety..." he started slowly, deathly afraid that she'd want to.  
"Absolutely not! You're not getting rid of me that quickly." Hermione huffed.  
He smiled at her. "Excellent."  
"Though, I am worried quite a bit for you. You're with Harry Potter's best friend. Voldemort... I don't know what he'd do to you..." Hermione whispered fearfully.  
"You're worth it."  
Hermione smiled feebly and kissed his lips.  
"Thank you."  
"Of course, Hermione. You're my..." he stopped. They'd never discussed whether or not she was "officially" his girlfriend. They were just "together".  
"Girlfriend. I'm your girlfriend." she whispered confidently.  
"Yeah. Yeah, you are." Draco smiled happily.  
"We just have to be careful about this. I personally think we should talk to Professor Dumbledore."  
Draco groaned and Hermione instantly chastised him.  
"Draco, he's a brilliant Wizard. He's the Headmaster. He's the only one Voldemort is afraid of. He's someone we should talk to."  
"Fine." Draco said darkly, annoyed that he agreed with her. "What about your friends?"  
Hermione thought for a moment. Draco watched her, practically hearing the gears turning in her mind.  
"Well, if they're really my friends then... they'll be happy for me. I mean, I'm sure they'll be a tad shocked at first. But they'll come round. Ginny absolutely will, and she'll talk to Harry, no doubt. Ron though... it might take him a little longer." she explained slowly.  
Draco looked at Hermione's wrist and saw the Weasel's present. He resented the presence of it, though he'd never ask her to remove it.  
"And your... friends?" Hermione asked.  
Draco laughed shortly. He knew that Hermione knew he wasn't fond of his Slytherin friends, something that he'd divulged to her over the last two weeks.  
"Right. My 'friends'. Pansy'll throw an absolute fit, but I couldn't care less. As for the rest of them... they'll hate me. But I really couldn't care less about them either." Draco announced. "They're not true friends. Not like you, Hermione."  
Not only was Hermione his girlfriend, but she was also the best friend he'd ever had.  
"Family?" Hermione asked next.  
"Blimey... I've got no idea. I think I could make Mum come round eventually. It'd just take a while." he said, not wanting to mention anything else.  
He knew that Hermione had understood. He didn't need to ask about her family. They were far removed from the Wizarding World and wouldn't pose a threat to them. She'd already told him that her parents would adore him.  
"Listen, Harry and Ron and Ginny are dropping by once they return, okay?" Hermione told him.  
Draco nodded. He couldn't deny that he was nervous about the backlash that could unleash from their being together. He was afraid for her safety. He was afraid that at the mere age of 17, he already knew that she was the love of his life.  
"It should be rather soon, I'm assuming. We should get dressed." Hermione sighed, starting to get out of bed.  
Draco pulled her back down to the bed and kissed her passionately.  
"Or... we could get undressed..." he said suggestively.  
Hermione laughed and returned his kisses. She kissed and kissed and kissed him until Draco was breathless.  
"Nice try." she whispered, kissing his ear.  
Draco sighed and sat up as she got up off the bed. He looked away as she dressed, sneaking a peek every so often.  
_ Merlin, she's beautiful,_ he thought.  
** . . .**  
Hermione pulled on her skirt and felt Draco's eyes on the back of her. She smiled to herself, knowing that he kept peeking at her as she changed. He'd seen the majority of her undressed, so it wasn't a big deal. He slept in his boxers now anyways, revealing the fact that that was the way he preferred to sleep. They hadn't had sex. Hermione loved him, but they hadn't been together for long enough for her to give herself away like that.  
Not yet.  
"I can feel your eyes on me, Draco. Nice try." she laughed, turning back to him.  
"Every morning." he groaned, standing up and starting to dress himself.  
Hermione fixed her hair into a side plait and kissed Draco's cheek before wandering out into the Common Room. Just as she made it out, she heard a knock on the door.  
She hurried over and opened it to find Harry, Ron and Ginny. She squealed in excitement and hugged Harry tightly, then Ron and then Ginny.  
"Hello!" she squealed.  
They all greeted her back cheerfully while stepping into the Common Room. They asked her questions about Christmas and she did the same. They caught up all quite cheerfully until Draco stepped into the room.  
"Oi! Hermione, have you seen-"  
Hermione turned to look at Draco who had stopped talking mid sentence. He had his dress shirt open, exposing his sculpted abs with an untied tie around his neck.  
"Potter. Weasleys." was all Draco uttered.  
They said nothing, just glaring at him. Hermione was grateful that that was all Draco had said. She had made him promise to at least try to be nicer to them. She knew it'd take a long time, but she knew that he could get there. Once they knew about the two of them, she'd have to make Harry and Ron promise the same.  
"Have I seen what?" Hermione asked him.  
Draco shook his head, as to clear it of a thought and looked at her.  
"Right. Have you seen the present my mum gave me?" he asked.  
Hermione thought for a minute. "I think it's in the second drawer from the top."  
Draco had a look of remembrance appear on his face. "Right! Thanks!"  
He disappeared back into his room and shut the door behind him. Hermione turned back to her friends to find them all just staring at her.  
"What?" she asked.  
"Hermione... where did you get that necklace?" Ginny asked.  
She reached to her neck for the necklace that Draco had given for Christmas. She knew that they all had to know now. She wasn't too worried about Ginny's reaction. It was more Ron and Harry's. She noticed that Harry and Ginny were holding hands and she smiled to herself. Maybe if Ron could get past Harry dating his little sister, they could all get past Hermione dating Draco Malfoy.  
"Well... Draco gave it to me for Christmas."  
"_Draco?_" Ron repeated incredulously.  
"Y-yes." Hermione nodded quickly.  
Just then, Hermione heard the bedroom door open, she saw Draco appear next to her from the corner of her eye. He was fully dressed and had his Mother's journal in hand.  
"I just... I think I'm gonna go to the Library." he explained.  
"Why would we give a rat's ass, Malfoy?" Ron grumbled.  
Hermione nodded at him. She knew that he was giving her the space she needed to tell her friends.  
"Ron, Harry and Ginny? Can you do me a favor without asking any questions, please?" Hermione asked politely.  
They all nodded at her.  
"Promise to do whatever it is?"  
They all nodded again.  
"Give me your wands for a second."  
They all looked puzzled, but proceeded to pass Hermione their wands. She hid them behind her on her armchair and looked up at Draco.  
"Don't... don't be long." she whispered to him.  
He nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead softly. She felt herself blush. But the moment was interrupted by the screaming of Ron and Harry. They were both on their feet, Ginny standing in front of them, as if to hold them back.  
"Go." Hermione whispered to Draco.  
He nodded and hurried out of the Common Room.  
"Ron! Harry! Please just let me explain!"  
"What the bloody hell was Malfoy doing kissing your sodding head, Hermione?" Ron yelled.  
"Hermione, what the hell is going on?" Harry screamed.  
Hermione watched as Ginny stared at her with raised eyebrows while trying as well to get Harry and Ron to take a seat back down on the couch.  
"Just... please calm down. I'll explain everything." Hermione pleaded, grateful that she had taken their wands.  
"Give me my wand, Hermione! I need to go after him!" Ron screamed.  
"No! No, I will not give you your wand! I will not sodding let you go after him!" Hermione screamed back, louder than she'd ever yelled at them in the seven years she'd known her friends.  
They all sat down, taken aback by her outrage.  
"Now. If you would please just hear me out." Hermione begged, hoping her voice wouldn't quiver.  
"No bloody way, Hermione. I'm out of here." Ron yelled, standing up and storming to the exit.  
"Ron! Please! Please just listen to me!" Hermione called, standing once again and rushing after him.  
He dodged Hermione and grabbed his wand off of her chair. He headed back to the exit as Hermione grabbed hold of his arm. He swatted her away.  
"Don't touch me! Hermione, it's Malfoy! He's called you a Mudblood for years on end. He's made all of our lives miserable! He's probably a Death Eater!" Ron exclaimed angrily.  
"You take that back, Ronald Weasley! He is not a Death Eater!" Hermione squealed.  
"Fucking right! You two deserve each other. A Mudblood and a Death Eater. What a perfect couple!"  
Hermione was silent. She couldn't believe that he had called her a Mudblood.  
"_Ron!_" Harry bellowed from across the room.  
Hermione walked away from Ron and sat back in her arm chair. She avoided the eyes of Ginny and looked down at the ground.  
"I'm out of here!" Ron yelled.  
There was a moment of silence as Harry made his way over to Hermione.  
"Hermione, he didn't mean that." Harry said gently, though still sounding angry with the both of them.  
"Sure." Hermione spat out.  
"Hermione, forget about my asshat of a brother for a second. Me and Harry are here to listen to your story, okay?" Ginny said.  
Hermione looked up at the two of them. They were sitting on the couch, huddled close together. Harry looked pained by the fact of Hermione and Draco, but Ginny elbowed him gently in the ribs and shook her head.  
"Fine." Harry groaned.  
"Please just... please hear me out." Hermione begged.  
She launched into her tale. She started with how her nightmares had recurred once she'd arrived at Hogwarts and how Draco had to save her from them every night. She explained his solution to the problem and how it had worked. She explained how nice and charming he had been to her this year. She explained how she had slowly started falling in love with him. She explained how they'd finally gotten together on Christmas.  
"Wait. You're _in love_ with him?" Harry repeated  
Hermione nodded and then realized that she had tears streaming down her face. Ginny shook her head at her before dropping the hand of Harry and walking to Hermione.  
"Interesting choice in boys, Hermione. But... I remember how excited you seemed about a boy a few months back in the library. Was it Malfoy?" Ginny asked.  
Hermione nodded quickly. "Y-yes."  
She raised her eyebrows. "Blimey. Harry, that was ages ago. This is the real deal."  
Ginny leaned down and hugged Hermione tightly. Hermione, with raised eyebrows, returned the hug.  
"Harry." Ginny said to him sternly.  
Hermione stood up at the same time as Harry and crossed her arms nervously.  
"I don't like this, Hermione. I don't want him to hurt you." Harry said.  
Hermione nodded. "I know! But, I trust him, Harry. I honestly don't think he will. He told me to end it if I didn't want to go through the danger we were putting ourselves through."  
Harry nodded at her, seeming to be in deep thought. "Please do be careful, Hermione."  
She nodded. "I promise I will be."  
Harry stepped forwards and hugged her. She hugged him back tightly, crying gently into his shoulder.  
"I don't like it, and you've got to give me some time to get used to it, okay?" Harry whispered to her.  
Hermione nodded, pulling away from him and rubbing her eyes.  
"As for Ron... well... we'll both work on him." Harry sighed.  
"Yeah." Ginny added.  
Suddenly, the entrance to the Common Room opened and in walked Draco, sporting a bleeding forehead and what would turn into a black eye.  
"Draco!" Hermione gasped.  
She ran towards him, terrified about what had happened. She knew that Ron had done this. She just knew it.  
"Draco, are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his cheek.  
He nodded. "Hermione, were you crying?"  
Hermione blushed. Now was not the time for him to worry about her. Now was the time for him to worry about him.  
"Nevermind about me, what happened?" Hermione protested.  
"No, no. Why were you crying? Potter! Did you say something?" Draco asked.  
He took Hermione's hand and stepped towards Harry and Ginny. They were both still sitting upon the couch.  
"No." Harry replied sternly.  
"No, he didn't. I swear." Hermione said.  
Draco nodded, looking away from Harry and Ginny to turn his attention back to Hermione.  
"Weasley happened." Draco explained.  
Hermione shook her head, anger fueling her insides. First he had called her a Mudblood, and now he had attacked Draco.  
"Fucking _Ron!_" Hermione yelled.  
She noticed Draco widen his eyes at her before pulling her close to him.  
"Hermione, I'm fine. I promise."  
** . . .**  
Draco looked down at Hermione who was burying her face in her chest. He felt her start to cry again and his heart hurt for her. Draco looked at Potter and the Weaslette sitting on the couch. Potter had his eyes narrowed, the Weaslette's eyes were wide.  
"Please be kind to them, Dr-Draco." Hermione mumbled into his chest.  
Of course Hermione would care about him being kind to her friends while she was crying. He felt a small smile creep onto his face as he petted her hair.  
"Now. Would someone please explain to me why she's crying?" Draco said as formally as he could muster.  
"Probably because of your nasty face." Potter spat.  
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, turning around and starting for Harry.  
Draco was shocked by her outrage and was desperately wondered what had happened. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and held her back from charging after Potter; although it would have been entertaining to watch his girlfriend pummel Potter to the floor.  
"Sorry! Hermione, it's a force of habit!" Potter explained, holding up his hands in surrender.  
"Hermione, it's okay. It's tame coming from Golden Boy, really." Draco sighed.  
Hermione turned back into Draco and he just held her closely and tight.  
"Now. What happened?" Draco repeated.  
He watched the Weasley girl sigh. He'd finally clued in that her name was Ginny by all of Hermione's tales about her.  
"My arse of a brother called her..." she started.  
"Called her what?" Draco demanded, his arms tightening protectively around Hermione's shaking body.  
"He called her a Mudblood." Ginny finished quickly.  
Draco froze. He couldn't believe it. He'd called Hermione a Mudblood hundreds of times up until this year, but he would never ever utter those words again. He couldn't believe that someone she considered her best friend had called her a Mudblood.  
He couldn't believe it.  
"Um... I guess we'll leave you lot to it." Harry said awkwardly.  
Hermione mumbled something Draco couldn't understand into his chest. He looked at Potter and She-Weasley. They both shrugged at him. Suddenly, Hermione let go of Draco and launched herself at Potter. He stumbled backwards and slowly hugged her back. Draco watched on, wishing that he had that kind of friendship as well.  
"Thank you." he heard Hermione whisper softly.  
"I'll talk to him." Potter responded quietly.  
Hermione let go and hugged Ginny tightly. They murmured softly to each other, whispering words Draco couldn't hear, but he was glad they were on her side. He hated seeing Hermione this way. It physically pained him.  
She made her way back into Draco's arms and he placed a kiss upon her head. Potter and the Weaslette had tottered off and instantly Draco sat Hermione down on the couch and held her while she cried.  
This was going to be a tough journey.

**Author's Note:** What's a story without a little drama? also, I apologize for the awkward spacing! it looks loads better on my computer and just changes when I put it on here. hopefully I'll work out how to fix it eventually! Please read and review! xx


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything

**Author's Note:** Now, this is my attempt to clear things up about Voldemort and the hunt for Horcruxes and stuff! Please review! xx

**Chapter Nine**  
Over the next month, despite the challenges that were thrown at them, Hermione and Draco grew stronger and closer. Harry and Ginny were treating Hermione as normal, though it was obvious that Harry was having his issues with it. He was keeping silent though, just as a good friend should. Ron, however, was not talking to Hermione. They spent a lot of time together, though not a word or glance was exchanged. It just so happened that they both were meeting up with Harry a lot of the time.  
Draco's Slytherin "friends" were causing him a major headache. Pansy had cried for three days and Draco had had a number of poor hexes shot at him by Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise was simply not speaking to him. Draco knew that since they had gone public with their relationship, since they had started holding hands, hugging and spending time together outside of their rooms, that his family would find out. His mother hadn't said anything to him yet, but he was waiting. Whether it was Snape, or a Slytherin, he knew that they would find out.  
Draco and Hermione were seated in Potions class. They sat with one another, and always remained mainly quiet and formal throughout the class. Harry had to sit with Ron, and Draco... Draco had no one else to sit with anymore.  
"Mr. Malfoy and Miss. Granger." Snape called from the front of the class with a low, flat voice.  
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione called out eagerly.  
Draco chuckled at her. Some things would never change. However, while he had found it insanely annoying all years previous, now he found it cute and somewhat endearing.  
"You two are wanted in the Headmaster's Office. Immediately." Snape spat at them.  
They quickly gathered up their things, not saying another word and headed out of the door.  
"What do you think this is about?" Hermione asked Draco, worriedly.  
"Could be Head Boy and Girl stuff... could be something else." Draco sighed.  
He was about as confused as she was. He slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. He could tell she was worried just by the way she carried herself about.  
"Hermione, relax. It's alright." he soothed, squeezing her hand again.  
They made their way to Dumbledore's Office and found the statue already open. They headed up the stairs and knocked on the door. Draco sighed. He always felt so out of place speaking with the Headmaster.  
"Come in!" they heard Dumbledore announce cheerfully.  
Draco pushed the door open and motioned for Hermione to enter first.  
"Ah, hello Mr. Malfoy. Miss. Granger. Please take a seat." Dumbledore said while motioning to the two seats in front of his desk.  
They did as he said while each murmuring a quiet hello.  
"Now, I bet you're wondering why I had to pull you out of class to speak with you both."  
"Yeah." Draco scoffed.  
He felt Hermione's eyes on him and he turned to smirk at her.  
"Well, I'm afraid it has nothing to do with Head Boy and Head Girl business, though I do wish it was." Dumbledore sighed.  
It was never a good sign when even the Old Man seemed frazzled.  
"Then, what is it, Professor?" Hermione asked, straightening up in her chair.  
"Well, Miss Granger, it is my understanding that you two are in a relationship. Am I correct?"  
Draco and Hermione both nodded stiffly before looking at each other with concern.  
Where was this conversation headed?  
Draco had asked Hermione again and again when she'd appeared upset over her row with Ron and the occasional weirdness with Harry if she wanted to call it quits, and to Draco's luck, she said it was entirely worth it.  
"Well, I'm afraid that news of this has travelled beyond the school grounds. Draco, it's reached your family and as you must realize due to that that it has also reached Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore explained.  
Draco looked at Hermione. Her skin had dramatically paled and her eyes were wide and frightened.  
"Now, Draco. I'm going to assume that since you are with Miss. Granger, you are on the Order's side." Dumbledore said, his eyebrows raising.  
Draco nodded automatically. There was no question for him at all anymore about what side he was on.  
"Of course." he said, his voice full of confidence.  
"Then... I think that we can fill him in on what Harry's been up to, Miss. Granger." Dumbledore said, nodding his head at Hermione.  
"Y-yes, Professor." Hermione squeaked.  
Draco hated seeing her like this. She was clearly terrified. He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly.  
"You see, Draco..." Dumbledore started.  
Draco listened to Dumbledore tell a tale of Voldemort and Horcruxes. He had never heard of them before, but he quickly understood just how dangerous Voldemort really was. Just how difficult he would be to finally destroy.  
"Blimey..." Draco whispered once Dumbledore had finished speaking.  
"Sir... has Harry made any progress lately?" Hermione asked.  
Draco looked at Hermione, who's eyes were still wide.  
"Well, as you already know, Miss. Granger, the ring, the diary and the locket are gone. But, as for the rest, I'm afraid they have not been found. However, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and I have been working on it." Dumbledore explained.  
Draco sighed, trying to take in all this new information.  
** . . .**  
Hermione was trying to remain calm. She was absolutely terrified. She didn't know what would happen next to her and Draco. She didn't want to live without him. She didn't think she could.  
As she listened to the Headmaster discuss the Horcruxes with Draco, she found herself thinking about Harry and Ron.  
They had been working on it without her?  
Ron had been included in Harry's meetings with Professor Dumbledore?  
"Miss. Granger, I'm sure you're wondering why you haven't been included in on my meetings with your two friends." Dumbledore said, as if reading her mind.  
"Why yes, Professor."  
"It's for your own safety."  
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows together. "Safety? Professor, I'm afraid I've been in quite the number of dangerous situations with Ron and Harry before. More than the average witch my age."  
"Yes, Miss. Granger. That is absolutely true. But, Harry has been rather worried about you since the summer, and wanted to keep you here and safe." Dumbledore explained.  
"But, Prof-"  
"Take it up with Harry, Miss. Granger. Though, I do agree with him. The reason we're here is for your safety. _Both_ of your safety."  
Hermione looked at Draco as he squeezed her hand again. She felt herself shaking, and he began to stroke her hand with his thumb.  
"I'm afraid you both need to leave." Dumbledore announced.  
Hermione felt her stomach drop.  
_ Leave?_  
"Leave? Sir! Surely Hogwarts is the absolute safest place we can be right now!" Hermione said rather loudly.  
She looked at Draco with frantic eyes. He was just watching her, appearing surprised that she had spoken before he had.  
"Yes, yes. Hogwarts _is_ the safest place. In the Wizarding World." Dumbledore said.  
Hermione gasped. She knew exactly where he was headed with this.  
"Sir, you can't mean -"  
"In the Wizarding World? Are you bloody thinking of sending us out into the _Muggle_ World?" Draco shouted, beating Hermione to it.  
He'd remained quiet for the last few minutes and Hermione jumped at his outburst.  
"Why yes, Mr. Malfoy, that is exactly what I mean."  
Hermione felt her mouth drop open and she turned to stare at Draco. He looked outrage by this idea.  
"Are you sodding joking? How the bloody hell will me and Hermione possibly be safe in the... Muggle world?" Draco scoffed.  
Hermione bit her lip and looked between Draco and Dumbledore. She was nervous. Very nervous. The idea of leaving Hogwarts to go live in the Muggle World was a scary prospect to her. Not that she couldn't make in the Muggle World, she was very accustomed to it, but because she'd actually have to _leave_ Hogwarts.  
** . . .**  
Draco was completely outraged. He couldn't even believe that Dumbledore was considering sending them out into the Muggle World. How could they possibly be safe there? How would it be safer than Hogwarts?  
"Easily, Draco. Easily." Dumbledore said, appearing as calm as ever.  
Draco dropped Hermione's hand and crossed his arms instinctively. He looked at Hermione and a part of his anger instantly melted away. She looked so beyond terrified that Draco had to restrain himself from taking her in his arms right then and there.  
"So, what's your plan, then?" Draco asked flatly.  
He uncrossed his arms and quickly retook Hermione's hand, squeezing it and quickly bringing it to his lips to kiss lightly.  
"We will send you two into the Muggle World, but not as yourselves. You will be taking Polyjuice Potion to give you the appearance of two Muggles who we've acquired a hair from. You will go by different names. You will live a different life." Dumbledore explained, the familiar twinkle in his eye.  
Draco could hardly believe it. He couldn't absorb the words the Dumbledore had just said. Draco remained silent, as did Hermione.  
"And for the safety of the both of you... you really don't have a choice."  
Draco looked at Hermione again. He noticed her chin quivering and he felt his heart break for her, for the both of them.  
"Where will we go? Who will we be? Will we get to remain together?" Hermione asked frantically.  
Draco and Hermione sat there in silence as Dumbledore explained what their future lives would be like.  
They would live in a flat in a small village in London together. They were to be two Muggles that Dumbledore had taken the hair from who lived far away from them. Their names were to be Thomas Aldeen and Rhiannon McCarthy. They were instructed to get their own jobs and live their own lives.  
"F-for how long?" Hermione whispered.  
"Until it is certain that you two can be safe again."  
Draco couldn't believe it. He would have to be a stupid Muggle named Thomas Aldeen? Why that name? Why did the name matter at all?  
**. . .**  
"When... when do we leave?" Hermione asked.  
She could hardly believe it. What kind of a name was Rhiannon? She'd never heard of it before. She didn't want to have to leave Hogwarts. She didn't want to have to leave Harry and Ginny and Neville and Luna and even Ron, no matter what terms they were currently on.  
"Tomorrow."  
Hermione felt another choked gasp escape her chest and she felt Draco, now quite quiet, squeeze her hand again in comfort. She felt the tears start streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe this.  
"And what are we supposed to say to people?" Hermione choked.  
Professor Dumbledore looked at them pitifully. Hermione was scared. She was scared to let go of this life she'd known forever.  
"Simply... nothing."  
"Nothing? _Nothing?_" Draco yelled.  
"Mr. Malfoy, please. Leave the small details to me and a few staff and Order members. You may tell those closest to you, who can be trusted, that you are simply leaving for safety. For example, Miss. Granger. You may tell Mr. Potter and Mr. and Miss. Weasley, surely. Though you may not give them the location or what is going to happen to you." Dumbledore explained.  
Hermione felt a small sigh of relief. At least she would be able to tell Ron and Harry that she wasn't simply dropping off the face of the earth.  
"Is there anyone you feel the need to say something to, Mr. Malfoy?"  
Hermione cast a look at Draco, trying to see what he was feeling. There was no doubt that he was angry. But now Hermione saw something else. He looked sad and broken.  
"No." he mumbled, gruffly.  
** . . .**  
Draco realized there was no one to say goodbye to. There was no one who would miss him here. There was no one except Hermione.  
"Now, please meet me here tomorrow at nine o'clock in the morning. I'll give you instructions then. And of course, you are excused from all classes today." Dumbledore said softly.  
They all said their goodbyes and Hermione and Draco slowly started making their way back to their rooms. They started walking in silence, with only the sound of Hermione's occasional sniff. As they kept walking, her sniffs turned to sobs. Draco stopped walking and promptly pulled her toward him. She fell into his arms and softly cried into him.  
Draco knew how hard leaving Hogwarts would be for her. He had learned that she valued her friendships quite highly, and to leave them behind would be extremely painful and difficult for her. Not that either one of them had a choice.  
"Oi! Malfoy!"  
Draco looked up, holding Hermione even tighter and spotted Potter and Weasley racing towards them. He quickly identified Ron as the source of the voice.  
"Get away from her!" Weasley yelled.  
It appeared as though Potter was doing a feeble attempt to hold Weasley back from them. They reached him and Hermione and quickly, Potter's expression changed into concern.  
"Malfoy. Why is she crying?" Potter demanded.  
Draco was silent. It wasn't his story to tell them. She would have to. Plus, he knew by how he had spoken to Dumbledore that he could quite possibly be more than rude to the two, which would just upset Hermione even further.  
"Malfoy!" Ron screamed, pointing his wand into Draco's face.  
"Relax, for the love of Merlin." Draco scoffed.  
He felt Hermione pull away from him a tad to turn and face Ron and Harry.  
"Please, just... relax. I'll be alright. Come by my room later this evening and we'll talk then. Bring Ginny with you. Alright?" Hermione whispered quickly to them.  
Draco was amazed at her strength. Her unbelievable strength after everything she had gone through and overcome in her life. It gave him hope.  
"But, Hermione -" Potter started.  
"Harry, please. I just need to be with Draco right now." she whispered.  
Reluctantly, Harry and Ron left, continually looking back at them while they walked away. Hermione rested her head on Draco again and he bent down to kiss her soft hair.  
"Come on, Hermione." he whispered to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her in the direction of their room.

**Author's Note:** So, I hope that that clears things up a bit about Voldemort. I've decided that they got rid of the locket already. Anyways, thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming! xx


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

**Author's Note:** Alright everyone, go easy on me for this chapter. It was a little difficult. But I'd really love reviews for it! xx

** Chapter Ten**  
Hermione tried to imagine herself as Rhiannon McCarthy.  
What would she look like? How tall would she be? How old was she? Did she have to remain as her at all times? Or could her and Draco be themselves while at home in their flat? Hopefully they could be.  
She was beyond thankful that her and Draco would be going to the same place. She wasn't sure how she would cope if they were separated. Who would have thought that she would ever have felt this way about Draco Malfoy.  
"Hermione." he called to her.  
Hermione was in her room - her own room that she spent no time in - looking around and packing up all the things she needed to bring with her.  
"Yes?" she called back.  
She was standing by a wall, taking down the whole load of them. She absolutely had to bring them with her.  
She felt Draco's familiar arms wrap around her waist from behind. He pulled her close against him and she sighed.  
"What's going on in your head, Granger?" he whispered into her ear.  
"Everything." she whispered back.  
"You see that photograph. The one of you and Potter and Weasley in the middle?" he asked.  
Hermione nodded. "Yes. That was this summer, one of the first few days I had been at the Burrow."  
"Well... that's the photograph that made me admit to myself just how beautiful you truly are." Draco admitted.  
Hermione felt herself blush like a mad woman. She turned to him and kissed him passionately. After a few long moments, she felt him start to break away but she wouldn't let him. He realized her enthusiasm and pulled her close with one arm while entangling his other hand in her hair. Hermione realized that she could not be any closer to him physically than she was, but it wasn't close enough. She pressed herself harder against him and sighed into the kiss.  
She felt him grasp at the sleeves of her white cardigan that she had changed into once returning from Dumbledore's Office. She dropped her hand from around his neck to aid him in taking it off. Once he had, she flung her arms back around him and kissed him deeply. Hermione then began to slowly undo the buttons of Draco's white dress shirt.  
"Should we relocate?" Draco asked breathlessly.  
It was an agreed thing that they would never do anything in Hermione's room as it was just the site of all the nightmares and awfulness that had plagued them both at the beginning of the school year.  
** . . .**  
Hermione didn't say anything. He just felt her push up against him, trying to push him out of her old room. He smiled into the kiss and guided them out of Hermione's old room into the room they shared with Hermione unbuttoning his shirt the whole way. She slipped it off of him and he felt her run her hands all over him. He stripped Hermione of her pale blue tank top and took sight of her black, lacy bra.  
"Merlin, Hermione..." Draco whispered before taking her face in his hands and kissing her.  
He reached down and unzipped her dark jeans. This was where she usually stopped him. He started shimmying them over her hips, sliding them down further and further. He felt Hermione start undoing his pants and start sliding them down. He pushed her backwards onto the bed and she squealed with excitement.  
"Hermione." Draco whispered breathlessly as Hermione kissed his neck. "I don't want you to do this just because you're upset."  
She kissed him pulled herself on top of him. "Draco. I want to do this because I'm in love with you. And I _want_ you."  
He rolled around until he was on top of her and kissed her enthusiastically. He couldn't believe that he was about to have sex with Hermione Granger. He realized that he had never been this happy before.  
** . . .**  
Hermione needed Draco closer and closer. Even though this had been one of the worst days of her life, she knew that it was turning into one of the best. She couldn't be happier that she was having her first time with Draco Malfoy.  
She listened to Draco murmur her name and she slipped her hands into the waist of his boxers, shimmying them down. She felt him unhook her bra quickly and then slide off her panties.  
"Oh, Draco." she whispered, breathlessly.  
The next thing she knew, Draco Malfoy was taking her into utter bliss.  
** . . .**  
Draco was breathing hard and slowly. He looked over at the beautiful girl lying next to him and smiled to himself.  
"Wow." she whispered.  
"Wow." he repeated with a chuckle.  
He reached over and pulled a giggling Hermione into his arms and held her close. He kissed her temple and sighed into her ear.  
"That was perfect. I mean, I realize I have absolutely nothing to compare it to, but it really was perfect. Wasn't it?" Hermione said quickly.  
Draco kissed her temple again. "Yes, it was perfect."  
Draco and Hermione had talked about all their previous relationships. Hermione had only had a brief thing with Viktor Krum, whereas Draco had had an ongoing "relationship" with Pansy Parkinson. He'd been with a few other Slytherin pure blooded girls over the years, but none of them even came close to comparing to Hermione. He'd slept with Pansy and one other girl, but nothing had been as good as this. He had never been in love before.  
"Draco, I feel wonderful, yet terrified at the exact same time. How can this be?" Hermione whispered.  
"It just it. Because I feel the exact same way." he whispered back to her.  
** . . .**  
Hermione couldn't believe that she'd just slept with someone. It had been the most amazing experience of her life. She had never felt that close to someone before, and she absolutely adored it.  
Lying there in Draco's arms, Hermione knew she never wanted to lose him. She knew that she would never feel this way about someone ever again. Lying there with him, Hermione felt as though since they were going to leave together, things may just be okay.  
A few hours later and Hermione and Draco were back to packing. She'd finished up in her room, and now they were working together in their room. Hermione heard a knock on their Common Room door and she knew that it would be Harry, Ron and Ginny. She kissed Draco, who was busy gathering up clothes, and ran into the Common Room. She braced herself as she opened to door to reveal her friends.  
"Hi, Hermione!" Ginny chirped.  
Harry and Ron just smiled at her. Harry's seemed genuine, but Ron's was absolutely forced. Hermione said hello and instructed them to come into the living room. She sat on the arm chair while they sat on the couch, just as they had the last time Hermione had told them news.  
"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked, not wasting any time.  
Hermione took a deep breath. She looked into the faces of her friends. The way she would miss them was almost too much to think about.  
"I'm... I'm leaving." she announced.  
There was a noise of commotion from all of them, just as Hermione had expected. Hermione stayed silent, waiting for their shouts to finish so she could explain.  
"Why?" Harry said loudly, silencing the other two.  
"Be-because. I have to. I'm not safe here anymore. I'm not safe anywhere right now. So... Dumbledore's arranged for me and Draco to leave and spend sometime else where." Hermione explained quickly.  
"Why aren't you safe?" Ginny asked.  
"Where are you going?" Harry shouted.  
"Me and Draco just aren't safe here anymore. Voldemort and... and Bellatrix have found out about us, and we just can't be here anymore. We aren't safe."  
"But, where are you going?" Harry asked again, his voice softer this time.  
"I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone. Professor Dumbledore just said that I could say goodbye to you three. That's all." Hermione said quietly.  
"But that's bullshit, Hermione! Why can't we know?" Ron yelled, for the first time directly acknowledging her.  
"In case something happens. No one can know except Dumbledore." Hermione explained.  
They were silent.  
"And Malfoy is going with you?" Harry asked.  
Hermione nodded.  
"He's really worth all of _this_?" Ron scoffed.  
"Of course he is." Hermione said without hesitation.  
"Is he here?" Harry asked suddenly.  
Hermione nodded, unsure as to why Harry was asking her.  
"Can I speak with him?"  
Hermione nodded slowly again. She stood up and headed into their bedroom. She found Draco looking into the book that his Mother had given him for Christmas.  
"Any messages from her?" Hermione asked.  
He shook his head and placed the book on the floor.  
"Well, Harry would like to speak with you." she explained.  
She noticed him giving her a funny look and all she could do was shrug her shoulders. She wasn't sure what he would say to him, but  
"Alright." Draco mumbled, standing up and making his way to the doorframe where Hermione was standing.  
He bent down and kissed her lips softly. She felt his hand on the small of her back and he guided her back into the Common Room.  
"Malfoy." Harry said, standing up.  
Hermione watched as Ron stared at him darkly. She felt Draco's hand leave her back as he made his way to Harry. Hermione watched nervously as she didn't know what was going to happen.  
"You're leaving. You're leaving with her." Harry stated.  
** . . .**  
Draco stared at the Golden Boy. He could tell that he was feeling protective about Hermione. Draco himself was too.  
"Yes." he said, nodding at him sternly.  
"And you can't tell us where you're going."  
"That's right."  
"Or how long for."  
"Until she's... until we're safe again."  
Draco watched the male Weasley stand up, leaving only Ginny sitting on the couch. He had his arms crossed and was staring at Draco darkly.  
"I can't believe you've done this to her." Ron whispered darkly.  
Draco rolled his eyes and looked at Hermione. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she had stepped towards them.  
"Ron. He did not _do_ this to me." Hermione said loudly.  
"No, I did not." Draco added, trying to remain calm and not unsult them so he wouldn't upset Hermione.  
"Malfoy." Harry said.  
Draco just looked at him. He wasn't sure where he was headed with this. He had no idea.  
"Please take care of her." he finished.  
Potter held out his hand and surprised Draco. He had never expected to shake hands with The Boy Who Lived. He looked at Potter - Harry - and saw the look in his eyes. He truly loved Hermione. Not in the way that Draco loved her, not in that way at all, but in the way everyone needed to be loved. In the way that you know someone cares about you. In the way that a friend should love another.  
"I will." Draco said.  
He held out his own hand and they shook one another's.  
"Draco."  
"Harry."  
**. . .**  
Hermione felt unexpected tears spring to her eyes. She never thought that she would ever see her best friend and the love of her life shake hands. She felt Draco's eyes turn to her and she tried to rapidly blink away her tears.  
"Oh, Hermione." Draco sighed.  
He dropped Harry's hand and stepped towards her. She looked down and felt Draco's hand slowly stroke away her tears.  
"Don't cry." he whispered.  
Hermione nodded as she sniffled. She looked up at him and told her with her eyes that she needed some time with her friends. Though, she was sure he already knew that. She was proven right as he leaned down and kissed her cheek before walking back into their room.  
Hermione turned to Harry and Ron. She felt more tears slide down her cheeks and was surprised when it was Ron's arms who hugged her first. This just made her cry even more.  
"He's a prat." Ron said.  
Hermione groaned and tried to get out of his grasp. "_Ron._"  
"Wait, wait. He's a prat. But, I hope he takes good care of you."  
Hermione felt herself sob with both happiness and sadness.  
"He does. He will." she choked out, her voice squeaking.  
He hugged her tighter and she cried into him, partially because she was happy that they were okay again, and partially because she was leaving. They let go and then it was Hermione's turn to cry into Ginny.  
"Take care of them, will you?" Hermione asked her.  
"Of course. I'll make sure Ron isn't too much of a prat. And I'll keep Harry in line. Make sure he doesn't get himself into too much danger." Ginny vowed.  
Hermione nodded as she noticed tears running from Ginny's eyes. It was a rare sight.  
Hermione moved to Harry again. She was frightened for him.  
"You'll find them. You'll bring him down." she whispered.  
He nodded slowly. "I've got to." he said simply.  
Hermione sobbed again and threw her arms back around him. She couldn't imagine her life without Harry. Or Ron, for that matter. But Harry especially. Since she'd had feelings for Ron at some point in her life, and she knew that he had to, their relationship had been different than her's and Harry's. Hermione would miss Harry until the day she would see him again.  
"We'll see each other again." Harry whispered to her, holding her close.  
"We have to."  
Harry, Ron and Ginny stayed late into the night, almost right until curfew. Hermione hugged them all tightly with a tearful goodbye on her end and there's and saw them off.  
Once they'd left, she walked back into her's and Draco's room and he instantly enveloped her in his arms.  
"Shh... shh... it's okay." he whispered as she cried softly.  
He wasn't sure if it would be.  
But he would try his hardest to make it be for Hermione's sake.  
**. . .**  
The next morning, Hermione and Draco made their way to Dumbledore's office with their things. They took their time getting there, leaving early, so they would have time to take a last look at Hogwarts, as they would probably never be back.  
"I'm going to miss it here." Hermione said quietly, pulling her trunk along behind her.  
Hermione looked at Draco who being quiet. She didn't push him to say anything. She knew that he sometimes dealt with things better in silence. She stopped him from walking any further just outside Dumbledore's office.  
"Hey. You've been comforting me a lot. But, you need to let me comfort you, okay? I'm here as well." Hermione said kindly, placing a hand softly upon his cheek.  
She stepped onto her tiptoes and kissed him quickly.  
"I know. Thank you, Hermione." he said back.  
"I love you, you know." she said to him.  
He smiled at her and brought a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, too."  
They stepped up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, pulling their trunks along with them. They knocked upon the door and heard him cheerfully tell them to enter.  
"Why hello, Miss. Granger! Mr. Malfoy!" Dumbledore chirped.  
Hermione made a feeble attempt to smile back at him, but she knew it came out awfully. Dumbledore quickly handed them each a vile which Hermione already knew contained Polyjuice Potion.  
"Now, we mustn't waste anytime. I reckon this batch will last you for two hours, or so. So bottom's up!" Dumbledore instructed.  
Hermione and Draco looked at each other. Draco leaned forward and kissed her lips urgently. For a minute, she was embarrassed to be kissing in front of the Headmaster. Then she realized that she wasn't sure when the next time she would be kissing Draco when he looked like Draco and all her embarrassment went out the window. She knew he was just as scared as she was.  
They broke away and quickly drank the potion. Hermione felt the familiarly horrible feeling of the Polyjuice Potion. She waited for it to pass and tried to remind herself that she would have to do it a lot for who knows how long.  
She took a look at Draco and gasped at his new appearance. Gone was the pale blonde hair, replaced with dark brown. She looked into his eyes. His newly green eyes. She felt her heart hurt knowing that she wouldn't get to see his beautiful blue-grey eyes as much anymore. His skin wasn't as pale, and he was definitely a few inches taller.  
She'd have to get used to calling him Thomas. Thomas Aldeen.  
At least while in public.  
**. . .**  
Draco hated Polyjuice Potion. He hated it.  
He looked at Hermione. Her hair was now silky and auburn, her eyes a light blue. He missed her chocolate eyes already. She had shrunk down a tad, and her skin was as pale as Draco's usually was. She was staring at him, probably wearing the same expression as he was. He wondered what he looked like.  
"Is there a mirror?" Draco asked.  
Dumbledore nodded and waved his wand. A full-length mirror suddenly appeared before them. He heard Hermione gasp beside him as he did the same. Draco took in his new appearance and he was shocked. He looked so completely like another person that he couldn't even believe it while looking at his reflection.  
He looked at Hermione. She had her hand covering her mouth in shock. She dropped it and looked at him. Draco smiled at her with all the strength her could muster. He almost laughed at her feeble attempt to smile back, but he knew that she was just holding it together. As was he.  
"So. How is this going to work?" Draco asked, flatly.  
"Well, you and Miss. Granger must keep a flask of Polyjuice Potion with you at all times while out, just in case. And there is already a large stock of it in your apartment, but I do ask that you continue to brew more. All the ingredients are there for you already." he explained.  
"And... can we be ourselves when we're at our flat alone?" Hermione asked quietly.  
"Absolutely."  
Dumbledore waved his wand at their trunks and they instantly disappeared. He then waved his wand and a journal flew into Hermione's hand. Hermione looked bewildered at the sight of it.  
"What's that for?" Draco asked.  
"It's for us to keep in contact. I believe your Mother gave you one for Christmas, Draco." Dumbledore explained, and Draco instantly understood.  
Draco looked at Hermione.  
Rhiannon, he reminded himself to call her in public.  
"17 Brooks Drive. Apartment 2B" Dumbledore told them. "Be safe. I'll be in contact."  
Draco nodded. _17 Brooks Drive_,_ Apartment 2B_ he thought, trying to commit it to memory.  
He took Hermione's hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked into her unfamiliar face and felt a sense of longing for her own. He knew that she was inside there though. He knew it.  
_17 Brooks Drive_, _Apartment 2B_ Draco thought one last time before disapparating with Hermione alongside him.

**Author's Note: **I hope I didn't butcher the love scene too badly! I really wasn't sure how to write it. Please read and review! xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I promise, I own nothing except my ideas!

**Author's Note:** I'm loving all the follows for this story! thanks so much for reading! Please review! xx

**Chapter Eleven**  
Hermione felt disoriented as they arrived at their destination. She looked around her and realized that she was standing with Draco in a hallway. There was a green door with the number 17 on it in front of them.  
"I guess this is it." Hermione whispered.  
She looked at Draco. He was just staring at the door, his new appearance took her aback for a moment. Hermione loved him for who he was as a person and not strictly his appearance, but she was already missing his handsome looks.  
Hermione reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it. It was locked. She realized they didn't have any keys, so she looked around and quickly pulled out her wand.  
"_Alohomora_." Hermione muttered.  
The door opened and she quickly stowed her wand away. She stepped cautiously into the flat and instantly spotted their trunks on the floor. She took in her further new surroundings and took a shaky deep breath in.  
There was a plush green couch and two black armchairs to the right of the door, all huddled around a brown coffee table. There was a small television on a large grey chest. Hermione took a deep breath as she stepped further into their flat. She saw their kitchen, equipped with a rectangular table and four chairs. On a corner table next to the couch was a telephone with a note placed next to it.  
_011 20 8970_  
The number was clearly written in Dumbledore's script and Hermione smiled slightly.  
"Draco, this place is so cute." Hermione said quietly. "What do you think?"  
She turned to look at Draco who was standing a few steps behind her.  
"Hermione... I don't know how to do this." he said.  
She walked closer to him and took his hand in hers. She noticed that it felt different, holding Draco's hand when he was Thomas Aldeen.  
"Do what?"  
"Be here. Live in the Muggle World. I've never done it before." he sighed.  
Hermione nodded. She would be perfectly fine living here. She was used to it. She realized though that Draco had always lived within the Wizarding Community. This would be a whole new world to him.  
"Draco, I'll help you. I know how. I'll be with you every step of the way." she promised.  
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, though she noticed that she couldn't rest it where she usually did. He was taller, and she was shorter.  
"Thank you." he said quietly.  
Hermione looked up into the unfamiliar eyes and kissed his lips softly. She smiled into the kiss, as it felt the same despite the different lips.  
"Should we go exploring? You can try and teach me about being a Muggle." Draco suggested.  
Hermione laughed lightly. "Sure."  
Hermione located the keys that were left on the coffee table for them and stashed them in her purse. Along with the keys came a note.

_ Dear Thomas and Rhiannon,_  
_I hope that you two are enjoying your temporary home. Everyone will be working their hardest to make sure that you can come back soon. Look in the bottom kitchen drawer next to the sink._  
_ Sincerely,_  
_ You know_

It was from Dumbledore, obviously. Hermione passed the note to Draco and hurried into the kitchen. She located the drawer and tried to opened it. She found it locked.  
"_Alohomara"_. she whispered again.  
It opened leaving Hermione to find loads of Muggle cash. Hermione smiled to herself. There was a tiny note on top of the pile.  
_Automatically refilling. We couldn't leave you two unprepared._  
Hermione grinned and waved Draco over. She grabbed a small amount and shoved it in her purse as he read the other note.  
"Blimey..." Draco mumbled.  
They came out of their flat and realized that they were on the second floor, as the only exit they could find was an elevator.  
Once they were outside, Hermione smiled. It was sunny, though cold as it was February. Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and smiled at him.  
"I guess we've got to call each other by our _names_ while in public, right?" Hermione whispered quietly to him as they made their way by a few shops.  
"I guess so." Draco sighed.  
"So,_ Thomas_, what do you reckon we do now? I mean... we must search for jobs, I reckon." Hermione said, immediately turning worried.  
"I guess so, _Rhiannon_." Draco said.  
Hermione looked at his new face and she noticed a smirk. She just grinned at him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head before grabbing her hand and hurrying her along.  
As they went down the streets, they passed clothing stores, a few restaurants, a quaint, little coffee shop, and to Hermione's delight, a bookstore.  
"Oh, Dr- I mean, Thomas, we must go in!" Hermione begged.  
**. . .**  
Draco looked down at Hermione. She was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Draco couldn't help but grin at her. Even though he would have to get used to her new appearance, it was still his Hermione.  
"Okay, let's go. Let's go in." he agreed.  
They stepped into the shop and he watched as Hermione's face lit up with even more excitement. It was amazing to him that she could get this excited about books, especially muggle books.  
"Hello. Welcome to Pages. Can I help you find anything?" called a lazy voice from the front of the shop.  
Draco and Hermione looked over to see a girl with long, black hair and purple streaks bending over a counter, reading a magazine. She was looking up at them, looking beyond bored.  
"No, no. We're just browsing, thanks." Hermione called out.  
"Right, well. I'm Lilian. Let me know if you need anything." she said back, sighing.  
Hermione and Draco walked down the rows of books, Hermione stopping and browsing occasionally.  
"Hey, Her... Rhiannon, you should see if you could get a job here." Draco whispered to her.  
Hermione turned as she added another book to the growing pile in her arms.  
"Really? I don't know... I mean... do you think it'd be suitable for me?' Hermione asked, her newly pale face blushing.  
"Of course! It'd be perfect for you." Draco whispered, gingerly touching her face.  
"Should... should I go ask that girl?"  
"I guess so. You know more about how this world works than I do." Draco said.  
He looked down at the floor. As he'd been walking down the street with Hermione, he'd been feeling more and more overwhelmed. He'd also felt exposed, though he knew that he looked nothing like himself. He looked like an entire different person. He was Thomas Aldeen.  
"I... I guess I will." Hermione says.  
She starts in the direction of the front and plops her books down on the counter in front of Lilian, the girl standing behind the counter.  
"That's quite a stack you've got there." she points out dully.  
"Yeah. Um, listen... I was wondering. Would you happen to be hiring by any chance?" Hermione asked.  
Draco could tell by her voice that she was nervous. She sounded confident, quite confident, but he knew her better than probably anybody else.  
"Hiring? Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure we are."  
**. . .**  
"Brilliant! I was wondering if I could apply." Hermione asked.  
Lilian pulled out a small piece of paper and passed Hermione a pen. Hermione realized that it had been ages since she'd written with anything besides a quill and ink. Even when she'd been at her parent's house for the summer, she'd used a quill to write her letters.  
"Just write your name and number down. I'll have my boss give you a ring." Lilian instructed.  
Hermione wrote down her information, pulling the phone number out of her purse and scrawling it down quickly.  
"Um... Rhiannon? I think we've been..._ out_ for almost two hours. We should think about heading in soon." Draco called from behind her.  
Draco was right, Hermione realized. And they hadn't brought any Polyjuice Potion with them.  
"Right. Thanks, Thomas." Hermione said, trying to sound nonchalant.  
"Rhiannon McCarthy." Lillian repeated, looking down at the tiny scrap of paper.  
"Yes, that's me." Hermione explained, forcing a smile.  
"Right, well, I'm Lilian, again. And I'll pass this along to my boss and tell her to give you a shout."  
"Thanks so much! I really would love to work here. I do have to get going though." Hermione said, pushing her books closer to Lilian to grab her attention.  
She slowly started scanning them, and Hermione pulled out her Muggle money from her purse. Once she had paid and gotten her books, her and Draco started walking briskly back to their flat.  
Once they were inside, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. They'd made it back on time. Hermione dropped her books onto the coffee table and looked at Draco. His hair was slowly turning back to blonde as she watched him.  
"You're turning back into you." Hermione observed.  
Draco nodded stiffly, not looking at her.  
Hermione instantly knew that something was wrong and she took another step towards him.  
"Draco?" she asked tenderly, watching as he took on more and more of his appearance. She expected that she was doing the same.  
"What?" he said, lowly.  
"What is it?" she asked.  
He looked firmly down at the ground, his hands clenched into fists at his side. Hermione was starting to get worried. She walked closer to him and reached for his hand. He moved his away and hid them behind his back.  
"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione whispered softly.  
He shook his head quickly. As he finally looked exactly like himself, she heard him sniffle slightly. She knew it was something serious.  
"Draco..." Hermione coaxed.  
"I..." he whispered quietly.  
Hermione stepped to him and tentatively wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. She felt him start to resist, but she only held him closer. She felt him give in and hold on to her tightly. He had his head leaning down and resting on her shoulder. She felt his sobs wrack his body against hers. Her heart was breaking for him. She had never seen him cry before.  
"Shh... it's okay. It's okay." she soothed.  
He kept sobbing and she felt a tear escape her own eye for him. She blinked it away. She needed to be strong for him right now, just as he had so many times before for her.  
"It's okay. It's okay." she kept whispering, over and over again.  
Hermione pulled back for a minute to look at him. Her heart shattered as she saw the pain and anguish on his face. There were tear tracks down his cheeks, as well as fresh drops continually falling from his eyes.  
"Come here." she whispered, pulling him.  
** . . .**  
Draco couldn't believe that he was crying. He couldn't believe he was crying this much. He couldn't believe he was losing it in front of Hermione. Sure, she had cried in front of him numerous times, but never he in front of her. Draco wanted Hermione to see him as strong, but he couldn't hold it together.  
Not right now.  
As Draco and Hermione had been strolling through their new area, the realization of what exactly was happening to them had hit him. He had been so confused about everything. As he'd watched Hermione pay with the strange Muggle money, and as she'd written down a bunch of numbers for the Muggle in the bookstore, he had realized just how little he knew about the world they were now living in.  
What was a telephone number anyways?  
He didn't know how to make it in this world. He didn't know how to do it.  
Hermione took him to their new couch and sat down. She pulled him back to her and he continued to sob into her shoulder. He felt her hand gingerly start rubbing his back all the while repeatedly telling him it was okay with her calm, soothing voice.  
He thought about his Mother, and how he had heard nothing, nothing, from her at all. It worried him. He hated to think that his Mother hated him that much. He hated that she was exiling him like this. He hated that he had no friends, except for Hermione who was much more than just a friend. He hated that Hermione and him couldn't be together as simply as everyone else could. He hated his Aunt Bellatrix for torturing Hermione. He hated Voldemort for simply existing. He hated how most likely never set foot in Hogwarts again. He hated that his parents most definitely didn't love him.  
He sat there for a long time, just crying into Hermione's shoulder with her arms around him. Eventually, he felt himself start to pull it together enough to speak.  
"I-I-m sorry." he whispered, finally looking at Hermione who now looked like herself again.  
He noticed that her eyes were shining at him, and he felt a tang of guilt for not being strong for her.  
"Don't be. You have no reason to be sorry, Draco." she whispered, taking his hands and squeezing them tightly.  
He looked down at the floor and then felt Hermione gently lift his chin up.  
"Now, even though I have a fair idea, can you tell me what this is all about?" she whispered kindly to him.  
He leaned forward and kissed her hard on the lips. He felt her surprised reaction, but she kissed him back. He kissed her and kissed her until there were more tears streaming down his face. He felt Hermione pull away, but he slammed his lips back onto her.  
"Draco..." she sighed.  
He pulled away and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down again.  
"Hermione... I'm... I'm scared, and I'm an-angry." he admitted quietly, his voice quivering.  
Hermione nodded and shifted herself closer to him. "Me too."  
"And I just... I don't know how to do this! I don't have the foggiest idea how to live in this world! You'll be brilliant living here. You know how! I don't." he whimpered, feeling utterly pathetic.  
"I meant what I said before, Draco. I'll help you. You'll get used to it in no time, and we'll be alright. _You_ will be alright." Hermione vowed.  
"Why can't we just be together and be normal like everyone else?" he sighed.  
Hermione shook her head and smiled sadly at him. "I don't know. I wish we could. But, if this is what we have to go through to be together, then it's worth it. I... I have to be with you."  
"I love you, Hermione." Draco whispered, pulling her close to him.  
She gently kissed him and smiled.  
"I've never meant anything more in my life." Draco said.  
"I love you, too, Draco. Neither have I." Hermione whispered.  
As Draco looked at his girlfriend, looked into her sweet, enchanting, brown eyes, he regained a little bit of hope and strength back.  
With her, he could be okay.  
With Hermione, everything could be okay.

**Author's Note: **Please, please review if you can! they ALWAYS make my day! xx


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. J.K. Rowling is our Queen.

**Author's Note:** Please revieww! xx

**Chapter Twelve**  
That evening, Hermione planned on cooking a meal for Draco. Hermione loved cooking and did it quite a bit for her parents while she was home in the summertime.  
Once Draco had calmed down and seemed okay, Hermione had taken more Polyjuice Potion and gone to a grocery store to pick up food for their new home. She had been quite worried about Draco, and she still was. She now knew that he was just as afraid as she was. Once he'd stopped crying, he'd become quiet and decided to unpack his things.  
"Draco?" Hermione called out as she walked through the door.  
Draco came into sight and widened his eyes at her. A look of realization passed over his face as he looked at her.  
"Oh, blimey. You surprised me, being Rhiannon." Draco admitted.  
Hermione smiled at him. His eyes weren't as sad anymore, and she knew that he was feeling a little better. Though, Hermione knew that he wasn't saying everything that was bothering him, she knew that he would over time. She hoped.  
"Sorry." she said with a smile, walking into their kitchen and placing the bags of groceries on the counter.  
Draco walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her temple.  
"Want some help?" he offered, whispering into her ear and then kissing it.  
"Sure." she said.  
They began putting the groceries away together quietly when they heard a knock at the door. They looked at each other.  
Who on earth could it be?  
For a moment, Hermione was terrified that it was Bellatrix, or another Death Eater who had found them.  
Then she realized that Bellatrix would never knock. She would just enter and attack.  
"Uh... go take some Potion. I'll answer." Hermione whispered quickly, hurrying to the door as Draco ran into their bedroom.  
Hermione opened it to see a petite, young blonde haired woman with a toddler on her hip, a plate of cookies in hand and a smile on her face.  
"Oh, um... hello." Hermione said uncertainly.  
"Hi! I'm Sophie." the woman chirped.  
"I'm Rhiannon." Hermione said, a wary smile on her face.  
"I live down the hall, and I heard that you were new in the building and I thought that I would welcome you!" she said grinning and shoving the plate of cookies into Hermione's hands.  
"Oh! Well, that's very kind of you." Hermione said.  
"Rhiannon, who is it?" Draco called out from behind her, sounding casual.  
Hermione looked at Draco to see him as Thomas Aldeen. She smiled feebly at him as he walked to the door and placed a hand on the small of Hermione's back.  
"This is our neighbour, Sophie. She made cookies for us." she explained  
"Oh, thank you." Draco said cautiously, taking the plate of cookies out of Hermione's hands.  
"Well, listen, I've got to run, but I'd love to get to know one another!" Sophie chirped.  
"Oh, yeah! Of course." Hermione said.  
"Since you're probably frazzled with the move, how about you and... sorry, I didn't catch your name." Sophie asked, looking at Draco.  
"Oh, it's Thomas."  
"Thomas." Sophie smiled. "Why don't you two come over for tea or coffee in the morning?"  
Hermione looked at Draco. She could tell even with his altered appearance that he was nervous.  
"Yeah, that'd be lovely." Hermione answered.  
"Brilliant! Come 'round about 9 if that's not too early?"  
"9 is fine."  
"Perfect!"  
The small toddler in her arms squirmed and made a whimpering sound. She was a small one with curly blonde ringlets and rosy cheeks. She looked remarkably like Sophie.  
"And who's this?" Hermione said with a smile, leaning closer to the child.  
"This is Ella, my daughter."  
"Why hello, Ella." Hermione said sweetly, leaning down to her.  
"Say hello to Rhiannon and Thomas, love." Sophie said to her daughter.  
Ella squirmed again and looked shyly at Hermione.  
"How old is she?" Draco asked.  
Hermione looked at him to see him smiling greatly while looking at Ella.  
"She'll be two in a couple weeks." Sophie explained proudly.  
"She's adorable." Hermione cooed.  
"Oh thank you. Anyways, I've got to run, but see you in the morning!" Sophie said, smiling at them and starting down the hall. "Nice meeting you!"  
"Yeah, you too! Thanks for the cookies!" Hermione called out.  
"Thanks!" Draco added.  
The door closed and both Hermione and Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Draco placed the cookies down on their couch and looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows.  
"Well, she was nice." Hermione observed.  
"Yeah, she was." Draco said.  
Hermione placed her arms on his hips and stepped towards him."You did very well, Draco. Don't worry."  
Draco seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She knew if his skin was as pale as it was when he was himself, he would have blushed.  
"You really lit up around the little girl, Ella." Hermione observed with a slight smile.  
"A little known secret about me is that I love kids." Draco admitted shyly.  
"Do you really?" Hermione asked.  
**. . .**  
"Oh yeah. I definitely want kids. I want a family. A real one. A happy one. Not like the one I have." he explained.  
_ And I want one with you_, he thought. He couldn't say that to her though.  
They had only been together for a few months, and they were only seventeen. It was too soon to bring any of that into play.  
Hermione just stared at him with a smile on her face.  
Well, not her face. The face of her new persona.  
"What?" Draco asked with a light laugh.

"Me too." Hermione said, kissing his lips lightly.  
She trailed her hands along his stomach as she walked past him and back into their kitchen, taking the cookies with her.  
"I'm going to start dinner, okay?" Hermione called out.  
"Sure, love."  
**. . .**  
Hermione smiled._ Love_, she thought. She liked the sound of that coming from Draco.  
She started preparing their dinner all the while humming the tune to a Beatles song she had heard playing earlier that day in the grocery store. Once dinner, chicken stir fry, was ready and on the table, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She was tired.  
"Draco, dinner's ready." she called out to him.  
She watched him appear out of their room, still looking like his Muggle persona. She smiled at him and remembered how his face at lit up around Ella. She thought of the life he'd described and how much she wanted it too.  
With him.  
"This looks really good." Draco said, sliding into his seat at the table.  
Hermione sat across from him and smiled. "Thank you. It's quite different than what we're used to at Hogwarts, but I'm sure it'll do."  
"Did you really cook this without using any magic?"  
"Yes."  
Draco smiled at her. As they ate, Hermione realized that Draco seemed okay now. She had been so worried about him that she didn't even know what to do.  
"Where's the rest of the Polyjuice Potion that Dumbledore was talking about?" Hermione asked, after they had finished eating.  
"I don't know, actually." Draco admitted.  
Hermione walked over to a door that she hadn't entered yet. She tried to open it, but it was locked.  
"_Alohomara_." she sighed, waving her wand.  
The door opened to a small room. Inside was a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion. Hermione stepped inside and looked around. There were shelves upon shelves full of ingredients.  
"Draco, come look at this." she called out.  
She heard him step behind her. "Oh, whoa." he whispered.  
Hermione turned around to kiss Draco lightly.  
"You're yourself again." he said with a smile.  
She grinned at him and put a hand on her hair, feeling it's normal bushiness. Draco still looked like a Muggle, as he had taken the potion after her. Then, Hermione had a sense of realization wash over her.  
"Draco, if we're having tea with Sophie tomorrow, we've really got to come up with a story!" Hermione gasped.  
She watched as he raised an eyebrow at her. "A story?"  
"Yes!" she said, pushing him out of the potion room and shutting the door behind it. She muttered enchantments over it and then turned back to him.  
"We need a back story, Draco! We need to make sure that what we tell people is the same, or else it'll sound so suspicious." Hermione observed.  
Draco nodded surely. "You're right, Hermione."  
"We should tell Dumbledore what we decide. He should be involved."  
"Yeah, we can write it in that book he gave us."  
"Yes!"  
Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him into their bedroom. They sat upon their new bed with the communication book Dumbledore gave them along with a quill and ink.  
They sat late into the night, discussing and laughing over fake background stories and personas. In the end, they agreed on something and Hermione wrote a message to Professor Dumbledore.  
_ Professor, we have decided upon a cover story, and we figured that you should be aware of it, just in case._  
_ Rhiannon is 20, and is from Surrey. Thomas is 20, and is from London. We met in school in London when Rhiannon moved from Surrey to London at the age of 14. We've been together for 3 years. Thomas's parents live in Canada, moving there after Thomas had bought an apartment with Rhiannon. Rhiannon's parents live back in Surrey. We're both an only child. Rhiannon likes books and to sing, whereas Thomas can play guitar and has an interest in traveling._  
_ We've figured that that's enough details for now, and will update you if we think of anything else. Hope all is well back home._  
_ Hermione & Draco_  
"Well, hopefully he agrees with all that." Hermione sighed, closing the book and placing it down in front of her.  
Draco, looking as himself again, got up off of the bed and walked over to the bureau in front of them. He opened the top drawer and pulled out the communication book that he shared with his Mother.  
"Anything?" Hermione asked, quietly.  
Draco opened it and quickly flipped through the pages. He shook his head sharply and shoved it back in the drawer, slamming it closed. Hermione bit her lip and looked at him. She thought of his tears earlier and felt saddened.  
"Hermione..." Draco started.  
**. . .**  
"Yes?" she answered quietly.  
He watched as she bit her lip and lifted Dumbledore's communication book along with the quill and ink and place them on the bedside table.  
"Hermione... all I ever wanted was for my parents to love me. I wanted them to be proud, and to be happy for me, and to be, well... _normal_. But my stupid Father got himself in Azkaban, and my Mother is too rigid to show any emotion anymore. I know they hate me. They _hate_ me, and I haven't got a clue why. And it's not because I'm dating you, not at all. Though, that might just fuel their hatred and disappointment. They always have hated me. _Always_. And I just don't get it, Hermione. I don't."  
Draco couldn't believe that he had just admitted all of that. He'd never said any of that out loud before. He rarely even let himself think about it. Every time a thought like that entered his mind, he merely pushed it away and tried to focus on something else.  
He watched as Hermione quietly stared at him. For a moment, they were both silent as Draco stood there, panting and trying to contain his tears. He couldn't let himself lose it twice in one day. He wasn't like that.  
Hermione reached out her hand and grabbed his. She pulled him onto the bed, pulling the covers over them. Draco felt a tear leak down his cheek and Hermione wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. He rested his head on her chest and felt her lips gently brush the top of his head.  
"I love you, Draco." she whispered.  
As more tears streaked down his face, he felt warmth creep into his heart. That had been just what he had needed to hear. It was amazing to him how she always knew. He huddled himself closer to her and continued his quiet sobs into her chest.  
Eventually, he looked up at her and kissed her lips softly.  
"I love you, too." he whispered to her.  
They stayed like that long into the night, Draco falling softly asleep in the arms of the girl that he loved.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** This chapter isn't soo soo great, but I'd really love some reviews everyone! xx

**Chapter Thirteen**  
The next morning, Hermione and Draco were all prepared to meet Sophie for tea at her apartment. They were in their Muggle appearances and Draco had a tight grip on Hermione's hand.  
Hermione looked at him. She had been so worried for him last night, and had been grateful when he'd finally fallen asleep; grateful that he could get some peace.  
"Ready?" Hermione whispered.  
Draco nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He then, leaned forward and knocked on the door. A few moments later, Sophie opened it with a big smile on her face.  
"Morning!" she chirped.  
"Good morning." Hermione smiled.  
"Morning." Draco said.  
Sophie welcomed them into her apartment and they heard the soft cry of what must be Ella.  
Sophie sighed. "I'm terribly sorry. Make yourselves at home. I've got to run and check on Ella."  
She pointed to the couch and then dashed off into another room. Hermione and Draco looked at one another and then decided to sit on the couch. Hermione slipped her hand into Draco's and squeezed it tightly. A few moments later, and Sophie reentered the room. She smiled at them.  
"Tea or coffee?" she called out from the kitchen.  
"Tea would be lovely, thanks." Hermione responded.  
"Same here." Draco added.  
Minutes later, Sophie returned carrying three mugs on a tray, as well as a pot of milk,a bowl of sugar and a plate of biscuits. She placed it down on the table and sat on the love seat across from them.  
"I'm so happy someone young finally moved in here!" Sophie chirped.  
Hermione added milk to her tea and smiled at Sophie. "Is there no one else young living here?"  
Sophie shook her head. "Not really. I mean, everyone else is married with a baby, pretty much."  
Hermione wondered what Sophie's story was. Then, she realized that that was the exact reason they were here. To get to know one another better.  
"So, where are you two from?" Sophie asked.  
"Well, I'm from London, and Rhi's from Surrey, but she moved to London a while back." Draco explained.  
Hermione smiled and thought it was cute that he'd just invented a nickname for her new name.  
"Oh, Surrey's just lovely! I'm from London, but I've been there once or twice." Sophie smiled.  
"Yes, I miss it there sometimes. But then again, I'm perfectly happy here." Hermione said.  
"How old are you two anyways? You look about my age, or a little younger, I'm assuming." Sophie asked.  
"We're both 20. And you?" Hermione asked, the fake facts falling easily off of her lips.  
"I'm 23. So, close enough."  
"And how old did you say Ella was again?" Draco asked.  
Sophie smiled shyly. "She'll be two in a few weeks. I know, I know... I had her a bit young, but I don't regret her for a second."  
"Oh, don't worry! We're not judging at all!" Hermione said, making sure there was no misunderstandings. "Is there a father though? Just out of curiosity."  
"Well, there was a father. He was a lovely bloke. He just got scared when I told him I was pregnant and booked it out of town. We'd only been together a few months, so it scared him off. Ella's the best thing that's ever happened to me though." Sophie explained, her sudden sadness turning into pride over her daughter.  
As the morning wore on, Hermione grew fonder and fonder of Sophie, realizing that they had quite a bit in common. Sophie had gotten Ella up and let her spend some time sitting in Draco's arms as Hermione had helped Sophie clean up their dishes. She'd watched them from afar, Draco quietly talking to Ella as she giggled away.  
"Thank you so much for inviting us over. It was very sweet of you." Hermione said as she dried the dishes Sophie had washed.  
"Oh no problem! I really enjoyed spending time with you guys. You're quite a nice couple."  
Hermione smiled at her. "Thank you. You know, Ella really is just precious."  
Sophie looked over at Draco and Ella and nodded. "Thank you. She's wonderful. He's really good with her."  
Hermione cast her eyes at them again and watched as Draco covered Ella's eyes and made her laugh beautifully.  
"Yeah, he is." Hermione mused.  
"You ever think about having kids, Rhiannon?" Sophie asked, leaning against her kitchen counter.  
Hermione blushed. She was only 17, but then again, Sophie did think that she was 20. Hermione took a moment to think about having kids. She absolutely wanted them, and she knew that she wanted them with Draco. But it was way too soon for that.  
"Oh yes, absolutely. Just a little while off in the future." Hermione answered.  
"You said you have been together 3 years, yes?" Sophie asked.  
Hermione nodded quickly. In all reality, it had been only around two months. Though, she'd been in love with him before that.  
"Maybe there'll be a ring in your future!" Sophie giggled.  
Hermione giggled along with her. "I hope so!"  
She bit her lip, not even thinking when she'd said that last sentence. She realized that it was true, though. She wanted to marry Draco. She wanted to have his children. She wanted to live a happy life with him and have them grow old together. Though, she had to be realistic. They were only 17 and still had a long way to go before any of that. They also hadn't been together that long, but she knew that it didn't matter. Their connection was amazing.  
"Come on." Hermione heard Draco call, walking in their direction.  
She turned to him, realizing that he had been talking to Ella, who he had scooped up in her arms. Ella was holding onto him tightly, a smile on her face.  
"Mama." she gurgled.  
"Hi, baby girl." Sophie said, reaching a hand out to pat Ella's blonde head. "Are you having fun with Thomas?"  
"Fun!" she squealed.  
Hermione smiled at her and then at Draco. She watched as Sophie took Ella from Draco's arms. He strode closer to her and kissed the top of her head.  
"Thanks so much for tea again, Sophie." Hermione repeated.  
"Oh, no problem! I enjoyed it. We'll definitely have to do it again sometime."  
"For sure. You come over next time." Draco suggested.  
Sophie nodded. "I'd like that."  
They said their goodbyes and Hermione and Draco left, heading to their own apartment.  
They entered just as the phone began to ring.  
**. . .**  
Draco looked at Hermione nervously. He'd never talked on the phone before. She smiled at him, touching his face and dashing to the phone.  
"Hello?" Hermione said as she picked it up.  
Draco thought back to when he had been sitting with Ella. She was such an adorable kid. He couldn't help but thinking what his future kids would look like. The future kids he wanted with Hermione.  
"Yes, this is her." Hermione said, snapping his attention back to her.  
He looked at her. She had a tentative and nervous smile on her face. He raised his eyebrows with a smirk and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.  
"Yes... yes I did... oh of course! Yes... that works for me... okay! Yeah, okay, thank you! See you then."  
Hermione hung up the phone and flung her arms around Draco.  
"What? What?" he asked with a laugh.  
"It's the people from the bookshop! They want me to come in this afternoon for an interview!" she squealed with excitement.  
Draco beamed at her, hugging her tightly and twirling her around with her feet off the ground.  
"Hermione, that's wonderful. You'll get the job, I know it."  
"I really hope so. It'd make us seem more... believable I guess."  
Draco nodded. She was right. And because of that, he would need to find a job too.  
"I guess I should start searching then, right?" Draco sighed.  
Hermione shrugged. "I guess so, love."  
He smiled as she called him love. He then started thinking about finding a job. He didn't know how to do anything in the Muggle world, which made him qualified for _nothing_.  
"Don't worry. I'll help you." Hermione said, walking to him and pressing her face into his chest as she hugged him tightly.  
He patted her auburn hair and kissed it. Even though it had only been two days, he was already getting used to seeing her like this. He didn't even mind it, though he much preferred her original appearance because that's who she truly was.  
"Well, Sophie is lovely, isn't she?" Hermione said softly, resting herself against him still.  
"Yeah, she's nice." Draco agreed.  
"I think I'd like to be her friend. Is that... allowed, you think?"  
"Of course. We've got to pretend this is our real life until we can get back to our old one." Draco sighed.  
Hermione stepped away from him and nodded. He watched as she looked into his eyes.  
"Are you... are you better today?" she asked softly.  
Draco felt his skin flame. He was embarrassed about his _two_ breakdowns yesterday.  
"Yeah, yeah I am." he said quietly.  
He watched him smile at her as she changed into her old appearance. Her new smile changing into her old one.  
"You're you." they said simultaneously.  
She grinned and giggled. She was so irresistible to him. He strode towards her, closing the few steps between them and kissed her passionately on the lips. He felt her smile and continue to kiss him back. As it got more intense, Draco started unbuttoning her blue silk blouse.  
"Draco, it's the middle of the morning." Hermione said softly with a light laugh.  
"So?" Draco responded, kissing Hermione's neck where he knew she liked it.  
He heard her groan and laugh, meaning she was not going to fight him on this. She put her lips back on his as he pulled her into their bedroom.  
**. . .**  
Later on, Hermione and Draco were lying entangled in one another in their bed. Hermione had her head resting on Draco's bare chest and she was smiling contently.  
"How long do you think we'll be here for, Hermione?" he murmured.  
She felt his lips brush the top of her head and she positioned herself to look up at him.  
"Honestly... I really don't know. It's difficult to find Horcruxes._ Really_ difficult. And even more difficult to destroy." Hermione explained.  
Draco nodded at her and kissed her softly.  
"But, you know, Harry and Professor Dumbledore and the Order will get it all figured out soon, I'm sure. We'll be home in no time." she said, trying to force some faith upon him.  
She really had no idea how long they would have to stay there for, but she knew that they could handle however long it would be.  
"What time is it?" she said, sitting up suddenly.  
She looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her and gasped. It was 12:15.  
"Shit!" Hermione yelled, getting up off the bed and rushing over to her clothes hanging in a closet.  
Their muggle clothes were in a closet, where as their Hogwarts robes and things she'd brought with her were locked away in their dresser drawers.  
"What?" Draco called out from behind her.  
"I'm supposed to be at the bookshop by 1 o'clock! I can't be late!" she explained loudly.  
"Hermione, you've got loads of time. Just breathe." he instructed.  
Hermione searched frantically through her clothes. They had been here when they had arrived. She heard Draco come up behind her. She turned and watched him pull up his boxers, then passed her her bra and panties.  
"Right, thanks." she mumbled.  
She turned back to her search. She was really nervous for this job interview. She knew it was only at a bookstore, but still...  
She didn't have any experience that she could say! She'd have to make it up as she went along, which could be challenging.  
What if she completely screwed up and she was laughed out of the store?  
What if she wasn't as muggle savvy as she'd thought she was?  
"Hermione!" Draco called, snapping her out of her frantic thoughts momentarily.  
"Yes?" she answered.  
He passed her her blue silk blouse that she had been wearing and nodded. That could be good enough. She dug through her clothes until she found a black, high waisted pencil skirt. She deemed it satisfying and threw it on the bed with her shirt. She looked to Draco who had a flask of her Polyjuice Potion in his hands.  
She pouted and reluctantly took it. After she handed the flask back to Draco, she looked down at her arms, watching the transformation. She watched her _Mudblood_ scar disappear. That was her favourite part.  
"It's nice not having that on my arm for a few hours at a time." she said quietly.  
She looked up and saw Draco smiling sadly at her. "Come on." he instructed.  
She pulled on her clothes and slipped on a pair of black high heels. She spun around and looked at Draco, who was still only boxer-clad.  
"Well, how do I look?" she asked.  
Draco raised his eyebrows and sighed. Hermione was puzzled.  
Did she not look okay?  
"You look amazing. So amazing that I want to take your clothes off again, so you should probably get out of here." he explained quickly.  
Hermione laughed, walking over and kissing his cheek.  
"You'll be brilliant." he whispered to her, kissing her ear.  
She smiled and walked into the living room with Draco trailing along behind her. She grabbed her coat, placing it on and then swung her purse around her shoulder. Draco handed her the flask of Polyjuice Potion and she placed it in her purse. They definitely needed to start traveling with it.  
"We should probably put it in something other than a flask, you know." she laughed.  
He nodded, laughing along with her. "True, true."  
"But we don't have time right now!" she said, realizing she had to leave right then in order to get there on time.  
"I love you. Good luck." Draco said, kissing her quickly.  
"I love you, too. Thanks!" she called, opening the door and hurrying out.  
Hermione hurried to the bookstore, racing to get there on time for her interview. She could not be late. She was still Hermione Granger, even if she didn't look like herself.  
"Hi, I'm looking for Alison Briggs?" Hermione asked, walking to the counter to see a tall brunette woman, who appeared to be in her early 40s.  
"That would be me. Are you Rhiannon?" she asked, smiling.  
Hermione nodded quickly, returning the smile. Alison turned her arm and looked at a watch.  
"Right on time! Now, if you'd follow me just 'round here." she instructed, waving Hermione to come behind the counter.  
She led Hermione through a door and into a small room, with a desk, a coffee table, two chairs and a couch. She gestured to Hermione to sit on the couch, while she sat across from her on a chair.  
"So, Rhiannon. Tell me about yourself. How old are you?" she asked, grabbing a clipboard and a pen off her desk and looking inquisitively at her.  
"I'm 20."  
"And where are you from?"  
"Surrey. But I moved to London when I was 14."  
"And what makes you want to work here?"  
"I really am searching for a job, and I think I could be really good here. I really love books, and I think working with them would be the absolute best thing." Hermione said, trying her best to sound confident.  
She watched as Alison wrote something down on her clipboard and then smiled at her.  
"I'm glad you have that passion. Are you good with people?"  
"Oh yes, I believe so. I love people. I think I could be quite helpful to them here when they're in need."  
_Why had I said that? I sound so stupid!_ Hermione thought, chastising herself.  
"Well, brilliant! That is a good skill to have! If you're working with people, you should like it." she smiled.  
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that Alison hadn't found her answer as dumb as she had.  
The interview lasted around 10 more minutes, Alison seeming continually pleased with Hermione.  
"Well, I don't usually hire people on the spot, but that is about to change. You are hired!" Alison exclaimed at the end of the interview.  
Hermione felt her heart light up with happiness. A huge grin came across her face.  
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.  
"Come by tomorrow same time for some training, okay?" Alison asked, standing up out of her chair and placing the clipboard down upon the table.  
Alison reached across and shook Hermione's hand quickly. Hermione smiled at her. They said their goodbyes and Hermione raced to her new home, desperate to tell Draco her news.  
**. . .**  
Draco strolled away from the coffee shop with a smile on his face. He couldn't wait to tell Hermione his news.  
After she'd left, he'd decided to go for a walk to see if there had been anywhere that he could possibly get a job.  
And so he had.  
He'd gone into the quaint coffee shop, asking if they were hiring. They told him that they were desperate, and that he could start tomorrow.  
He knew that Hermione would be proud of him, and that gave him all the joy in the world.  
"Thomas!" he heard someone call out behind him.  
It took him a moment to register that that was his name. He turned around to look behind him, watching Hermione run into his vision.  
"Hey, Rhiannon." he smiled.  
"Fancy meeting you here." she smiled.  
"How'd the interview go?"  
"Brilliant! I got the job!" she squealed.  
Draco wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, twirling her around. He didn't care that they were in the middle of the sidewalk. He was that happy for her.  
"Oh, Rhi, that's amazing! I knew you would!" he exclaimed.  
"Thank you. Now, what are you doing out and about?" she asked.  
Draco smiled, taking her hand and pulling her in the direction of their home.  
"I got a job."  
"What?" she squealed, squeezing his hand.  
"Yes. At that coffee shop a few stops back." he explained.  
"Oh, I'm so proud of you!"  
He grinned, having heard the exact words he wanted. The exact words he needed.

**Author's Note: **Please, please review! Also, whenever anyone calls Hermione "Rhi" in short for "Rhiannon", it's pronounced "Ree". thanks for reading! xx


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! Sadly :(

**Author's Note:** As to not give anything away, I'll write a note at the bottom, explaining some things! But I really _really_ would love some reviews on this chapter!

** Chapter Fourteen**  
Months and months had passed since Draco and Hermione had moved to 17 Brooks Drive. Winter had turned into spring, spring had turned into summer, and now it was late fall. Hermione and Draco had celebrated their 18th birthdays, claiming their same birthdays when they spoke with the new people in their lives.  
They'd both grown quite close with Sophie, as well as Lilian, the girl who'd been at Hermione's work when they'd first gone in. Hermione and Draco had taken to watching Ella occasionally when Sophie had other things to do. They both loved it.  
According to Dumbledore, two more Horcruxes had been found and destroyed, meaning they were coming closer and closer to destroying Voldemort. But it was taking it's time. Finding the rest would be extremely challenging.  
Hermione slowly sat up in bed, feeling groggy. She heard the sound of sizzling food outside her door and knew that Draco was up and cooking breakfast. He'd taken to cooking a few things without magic, though it had been reluctantly.  
Hermione groaned quietly. She had woken up feeling nauseous for the last four days, and today was no change.  
Maybe she was fighting off a bug?  
She didn't know. But, it was getting annoying. She knew by later on that she'd feel perfectly fine.  
She pulled herself out of bed and walked into the kitchen to see Draco cooking bacon and eggs. He turned to her and smiled.  
"Good morning, sleepy." he laughed.  
Hermione rubbed her eyes, feeling exhausted. "Morning." she mumbled.  
"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, kissing her forehead before turning back and tending to the food.  
She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. She just wanted to go back to sleep. But, she had to be at work in less than two hours.  
"That great?" Draco said, sarcastically.  
"Yeah. You feel fine though, right?" Hermione asked.  
Draco nodded. "Yeah, I feel fine. Maybe you should call in sick. Take a day to rest."  
Hermione shook her head. "I'll probably be fine later."  
Hermione rested her chin in her hands and sighed. She wished that she could go to Madam Pomfrey. She'd fix her up immediately.  
"Okay..." Draco said uncertainly.  
He placed a plate of food in front of her, along with a cup of tea. He then sat across from her, placing in front of him the same things.  
"But, promise me you'll come home if you feel really bad?" he pressed.  
Hermione nodded, taking a small sip of her tea. "I will."  
"Thank you." Draco smiled.  
They ate with one another until she watched his eyes travel to the clock behind her. She watched them widen.  
"Bloody hell. I'm gonna be late." Draco groaned.  
Hermione watched as he pulled out his wand, casting his plate to the sink. Draco was still working at his same job. She knew he didn't really like it, but he was doing it for the sake of them.  
"Hermione, I know it was my turn, but can you tend to the potion this morning?" Draco called from the bathroom with a mouth full of toothpaste.  
"Of course." Hermione answered.  
She poked a little at her bacon and took a bite. Instantly, she felt worse. She booked it to their bathroom, making it just in time to puke in the toilet.  
She groaned and wiped her mouth, sitting on the floor.  
"Merlin, Hermione. Please call in sick today. Please." Draco pleaded, kneeling on the floor in front of her.  
Hermione nodded reluctantly. She really didn't want to, but she knew it would be best.  
"Would you like me to stay with you today?" he asked, standing back up.  
She heard him murmur something and into the bathroom flew a cup full of water. He kneeled back down and passed it to her.  
"No, no. Go to work, Draco. I'll be fine." she said, her voice wobbling.  
He looked at her, looking beyond conflicted.  
"Please, Draco. Go to work."  
He sighed. "On two conditions."  
"Which are?"  
"You call me if you need _anything_. And you write to Dumbledore and see if we could go see a doctor or something. Because, obviously, we can't go to St. Mungo's, and I don't know if medication or something that they have here would mess up the Polyjuice Potion." he said.  
Hermione nodded. "Okay, I will."  
She strangely felt a little better, but still definitely not normal. Draco dashed out of the bathroom and into their bedroom.  
"You're gonna be late." Hermione called out, taunting him.  
"Shut it!" he yelled back, laughter in his voice.  
Hermione smiled feebly and stood up carefully. She felt woozy. She flushed the toilet and started brushing her teeth to get rid of the disgusting taste in her mouth. Once she was done, she walked slowly out into the living room, Draco entering at the same time.  
"Now, please be careful today. Call your work, and stay home. If you throw up after taking Polyjuice Potion, you'll probably turn back into yourself. And please, please call me if you need anything. I'll call later to check up on you." Draco ordered.  
"Draco, I'll be okay. I promise. Go to work." Hermione said softly.  
He kissed her lips but she pulled away fast.  
"What if I'm contagious?" she shouted.  
He shook his head and kissed her again. When they pulled away, he had a smile on her face.  
"Worth it." he said, heading for the door. "I love you, Hermione Granger. Please feel better."  
"I love you, too, Draco Malfoy."  
He went out the door leaving Hermione to herself. She tended to the Polyjuice Potion quickly before she went into their bedroom and pulled out the Communication book between them and Professor Dumbledore. They had been corresponding every so often, only when the other needed to know something. He did occasionally check up on them, as well.  
_ Professor Dumbledore, it's Hermione. I think I'm falling ill, and Draco and I were wondering what I should do. He wants me to get checked out by a Doctor, but I really don't know what Muggle medication would do interacting with Polyjuice Potion. I don't think it's too serious, but I really don't know what to do._  
She closed the book and walked back into the living room, carrying it with her. She picked up the phone and dialed Lilian's number, one she now knew by heart.  
"Hello?" Lilian mumbled on the end of the line.  
"Lilian, it's Rhiannon."  
"This better be good, Rhi. I was sleeping." she mumbled.  
Lilian was the grumpy sort, but Hermione loved her all the same because she was an amazing person.  
"I was wondering if you could cover me at work today. I'm supposed to be there at 9:30, but I'm sick and Thomas is insisting that I stay home." Hermione explained.  
She heard Lilian sigh. "Okay, of course I'll cover for you. Just get better, okay?"  
"Thanks, Lilian."  
"Bye, Rhi."  
"Bye."  
Hermione hung up and then called Alison at the shop, explaining that Lilian would cover her shift for her. She wished Hermione well and then hung up.  
She opened the Communication book and found a new message from Professor Dumbledore.  
_ Hermione, I am very sorry to hear that you are ill. You are right with not going to a Muggle doctor, as obviously the effects of mixing Polyjuice Potion with Muggle medication have never been explored. I have figured a solution. If you so agree, I will apparate into your apartment and then bring you back to Hogwarts with me - as yourself. Mr. Potter will be waiting in my office with his Invisibility Cloak, and then we shall escort you to Madam Pomfrey and an empty hospital wing. After, as much as I would not like to, I shall wipe her memory so she has no memory of you ever being there. Please kindly respond now if you agree._  
Hermione almost squealed in delight. Just the thought of getting to see Harry made her excited. She missed him desperately. Even if it was only for a short while, she'd love to see him.  
_ Yes please. That would be lovely._  
A few moments later, Hermione heard a crack behind her. She stood from the couch and twirled around to see Professor Dumbledore clad in purple robes smiling at her.  
"Hello, Miss. Granger."  
"Hi, Professor!" she exclaimed.  
"Please, dress yourself and then I shall take you back to Hogwarts with me, okay?" he said kindly.  
Hermione looked down at herself. She was still in her plaid pajama bottoms and t-shirt. Her eyes fluttered self-consciously to her scarred arm. She crossed her arms and nodded at him, hurrying into her bedroom.  
A few moments later, she came back into the living room, dressed in simple, comfortable Muggle clothes, to find Professor Dumbledore sitting on her couch looking through a magazine about cooking that Hermione had brought home for Draco one day.  
"Professor?" she called out hesitantly, still feeling a little woozy.  
He stood up and placed the magazine down. "Ah, my apologies, Miss. Granger. I love Muggle magazines."  
"It's quite alright."  
Hermione found a scrap piece of paper and scribbled a note to Draco, explaining where she was in case he returned before she did.  
"Now, l'm hoping that you are well enough to Apparate." Dumbledore said.  
"Let's hope." Hermione said quietly.  
"Now, if you would please take my arm." he instructed.  
Hermione took his arm and was immediately swirled into the familiar sensation of Apparition. Once they'd arrived, Hermione felt quite ill. She stood with her eyes closed and collected herself until she felt a little better. She opened her eyes and looked around Professor Dumbledore's office. She smiled immediately.  
"Professor, is -"  
"Yes, Harry is on his way. He's bringing Mr. Weasley with him." Dumbledore explained with a smile.  
"Hermione!" two voices shouted.  
She looked to the entrance of the Headmaster's Office and instantly grinned as two boys came speeding towards her. They both threw their arms around her, almost knocking her over.  
"Harry! Ron!" she cried.  
They took a step back from her and she hugged them each individually.  
"How are you?" she squealed.  
"Fine! But, you're sick! What's going on?" Harry demanded.  
"Oh, it's probably nothing. Draco just got really worried and wanted me to see a Doctor." Hermione explained.  
She watched as both of their excited and worried expressions changed at her mention of Draco.  
"And... how is Malfoy? How's your life, wherever you are?" Harry asked.  
She looked at Ron, who was standing with his arms crossed and his eyes averted. She instantly flashed back to when he had called her a Mudblood. Her heart stung, but she shook the thoughts away.  
"Draco is wonderful. And my life is... it's good. It's better than expected." she explained.  
"And is the ferret being good to you?" Ron spat.  
Hermione glared at him. "_Draco_ is being amazing to me."  
"Now, Miss. Granger, I know you want to catch up with your friends, but we do need to get you to Madam Pomfrey. Afterwards, I shall leave you three, and Miss. Weasley alone up here for an hour or so before I escort you back to you-know-where, okay?" Professor Dumbledore instructed.  
"Of course."  
Harry passed Hermione his Invisibility Cloak and she smiled at him. "Thank you. I'll see you two in a bit."  
Professor Dumbledore and Hermione made their way the Hospital Wing, Hermione hidden underneath Harry's cloak. Hermione took sight around her, and could barely contain herself as she passed Luna and Neville in the hallway. Her nausea had faded a lot, and she almost felt okay.  
Once they arrived at the empty Hospital Wing, Dumbledore instructed Hermione to pull off the cloak.  
"Ah, Miss. Granger. Welcome back." Madam Pomfrey said, rounding the corner to them.  
"Now, Poppy, you remember our agreement?" Dumbledore asked.  
"Of course. You'll wipe my memory after. I understand." she answered.  
Dumbledore smiled and said he'd be back soon, leaving them alone.  
"Alright, Miss. Granger, can you tell me what's been happening? Why are you here?" she asked, motioning for Hermione to sit on a bed.  
"Well, all week, I've been waking up feeling nauseous and dizzy and today I even threw up, and I don't know what's going on. I feel better as the day goes on. It's just weird." Hermione explained  
Madam Pomfrey nodded at her, explaining that she'd cast a few charms over her. They were tests to see if there was any virus or anything in her system.  
She had her drink a few potions, and see what her reactions were.  
After a half an hour, Madam Pomfrey was still puzzled.  
"How old are you again, dear? Have you turned 18 yet?" she asked.  
Hermione nodded.  
"And, are you sexually active?"  
Hermione felt her face flush as she nodded stiffly. Madam Pomfrey nodded, her face displaying no emotion. She waved her wand over Hermione once more and she noticed a glow come from around her. She felt a strange sensation pass through her as she looked at Madam Pomfrey.  
"Oh dear." Madam Pomfrey said.  
"What? What is it?" Hermione asked frantically.  
"Miss. Granger... I'm afraid you're pregnant."

**Author's Note:** Now, please tell me what you think of this plot twist! Also, as for the tests that Madam Pomfrey is running over Hermione... I really have no idea how any of that would work.. I'm just making it up as I go along. Reviews please! xx


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:**I, sadly, own nothing.

**Author's Note:** I will say in advance that I clearly am making up all these wizarding pregnancy polyjuice potion facts. ALSO, I'm trying to fix the spacing on this one, and I apologize if it turns out horrid. please keep reading! xx

**Chapter Fifteen**  
"I'm sorry... what?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

She was not pregnant. There was no way she was pregnant. She couldn't be pregnant, she couldn't be.

Except, obviously, she could be.

"You're pregnant." Madam Pomfrey repeated.

Hermione put her hand to her mouth, as her jaw had dropped. Her head was swimming. Her stomach was churning. She couldn't believe it.

"A-a-are you sure?" she stammered.

Madam Pomfrey nodded quickly. "Yes, I'm certain. The pregnancy detector charm is fool proof."

"Oh my god." Hermione whispered.

She placed her head in her hands and forced herself to take deep breaths. She couldn't have a baby! She was only eighteen! What would her and Draco do? They weren't even living their real life!

Draco.

What would she tell Draco?

How would she tell Draco?

She knew that he loved kids and wanted them, but surely not right now! They were too young. _Too. Damn. Young._ What if he bailed? He wouldn't do that... would he?

"Miss. Granger... it's okay. There are options." Madam Pomfrey said, trying to sound consoling.

Hermione shook her head wildly.

There weren't any options. Not for her. She was keeping it. She would never _get rid_ of it, and she could never give it up for adoption. Not when she had no reason to.

"I have to keep it. I have to." Hermione whispered, tears slipping into her voice.

Hermione sniffled and kept her head in her hands. She felt Madam Pomfrey hesitantly pat her on the shoulder. After a few minutes, Hermione sat up straight and looked at her.

"D-d-does Polyjuice Potion affect pregnancy?" she stuttered.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "No, it does not, miraculously. While your pregnant, the person you transform into will also be pregnant, and it will be a baby with your genes, and not the person you've transformed into. You will be fine taking the Potion."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn't have to worry about that.

"Listen, go to a doctor wherever you are staying and get them to check you out. They'll give you prenatal vitamins and check you out, okay?" she said calmly.

Hermione nodded, sniffling.

"The Headmaster should be back in a few minutes. I'll leave you to collect yourself." she said, rubbing Hermione's shoulder once more and walking away.

Hermione sat there, in a place that had basically been her home, and could barely believe it. Her whole life was going to change. Everything would be different from here on in. She sat there in silence for a few minutes, her thoughts overwhelming her.

"Miss. Granger?" the voice of Professor Dumbledore said.

Hermione looked up, wiping her eyes to see the Headmaster looking at her with concern.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to tell Professor Dumbledore. Especially not before she told Draco.

Draco. How would she tell Draco?

"Professor... I'd like to discuss it with Draco before I discuss it with anyone." Hermione said quietly, avoiding his twinkling eyes.

"Of course, of course."

Then, Madam Pomfrey returned with a pitiful look in her eyes. Hermione looked away. She just wanted to get out of here. She wished she hadn't come. She wished that she didn't know.

She was going to be a mother.

What if she was a horrible mother?

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." Hermione mumbled, standing up and picking up the Invisibility Cloak and throwing it over herself.

She was desperate to get out of here. She needed Draco.

"Of course, dear."

Hermione began walking out the door just as she heard Dumbledore whisper _Obliviate._

She made her way back to Dumbledore's Office to find Ron and Harry still waiting in there. She pulled off the cloak, making both Harry and Ron jump with surprise.

"Is everything okay?" Harry asked immediately.

Hermione nodded quickly.

She desperately wanted to tell them, but she didn't know how they'd react. She wanted to tell Draco first. She'd have to tell them afterwards.

"You sure?" Ron asked.

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a squealing Ginny running through the door.

"Hermione!" she yelled, crushing her with a hug.

Hermione felt her face break out into a smile. She'd missed them all so much.

"Hi, Ginny!" she said, breaking away from the hug.

She tossed Harry's Invisibility Cloak to him and then looked at her friends. She realized that Harry and Ron shouldn't be at Hogwarts right now.

"Wait, Harry... Ron... why are you two here? Shouldn't you have graduated in June?" she asked, extremely puzzled.

"Oh, we did. We just came back today to see you." Harry explained, with Ron nodding along.

"Oh, you two are so sweet!" Hermione squealed.

She noticed that Harry now had his hand placed on the small of Ginny's back and she smiled knowing that they were still together. Hermione asked them questions. Questions about Horcruxes, and questions about Voldemort, and questions about everything. They couldn't ask Hermione anything because she wasn't allowed to tell them. The most they could ask her was how Draco was, which really, Ginny was only genuinely interested in. Too soon for Hermione's liking, Professor Dumbledore came back.

"Ah, I hope that you've all had a chance to catch up!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Yes, but I'm assuming that I have to go back now, don't I?" Hermione sighed.

Dumbledore nodded, his smile sad.

Hermione was surprised as Ron instantly threw his arms around her. He hadn't said too much the whole time she'd been here.

"I miss you, Hermione." he whispered.

"I miss you, too, Ron."

They hugged tightly, followed by Ginny, and then lastly Harry. She hugged Harry the tightest, as she now knew that it was him she missed most. Harry was like her brother. He was family.

"Goodbye, everyone. I hope I can see you soon." Hermione whispered, a few stray tears slipping down her cheeks.

They all murmured a sad goodbye, and Hermione grabbed Dumbledore's arm once again. She felt the familiar sensation and opened her eyes when she was certain she was inside her new apartment.

"Thank you so much for everything, Professor." Hermione said.

"Of course. Just write me in the book whenever you need, okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he apparated, leaving Hermione alone. Draco wasn't yet home, so Hermione threw away her note and then laid down on the couch.

What was she going to do now?

How long would her and Draco have to be Rhiannon McCarthy and Thomas Aldeen? How far along was Hermione anyways? She had to book an appointment with a Muggle doctor to make sure that everything was okay.

Hermione tentatively rested a hand on her stomach and ran it over gently. She couldn't believe that there was a baby in there. She was going to have a baby.

A baby.

"Rhi!" Draco called, opening the door to their apartment.

If the door happened to be open, they called each other by their "names". Hermione sat up slowly and looked at him with a weak smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, immediately sitting down next to her and kissing her cheek.

"I'm... okay." she decided on. "How was work?."

Draco's eyes clouded over and he crossed his arms, leaning back against the couch.

"Uh oh." she sighed, reaching over and grabbing his hands.

"I'm sick of making drinks for people. Making people their stupid bloody, complicated drinks. I want to _do_ something with my life, Hermione. I want my life back. I want our real life back." he sighed.

Hermione felt her stomach tighten in knots. How could he _do_ something with his life if they were having a baby?

"I know, love. I want to get out of here, too." she agreed.

After getting a little visit today with her old life, her real life, she missed it even more than she already did.

"We shouldn't have to _go_ through this, you know? We shouldn't have to bloody hide out and live in fear that everyday the Dark Lord is going to come and kill us, or that my stupid Aunt is going to!" he yelled.

Hermione felt tears squeeze into her eyes. She was almost certain that now they needed to hide more than ever. If Death Eaters got word that she was pregnant, they would want her dead for sure. No one would want a Malfoy and a Muggleborn like herself to create life.

"I want to be able to call you Hermione in public. I want to walk down the street holding your hand and not be afraid!" Draco exclaimed, taking Hermione's hand and squeezing it.

. . .

Draco looked into his girlfriend's beautiful eyes and realized that she was tearing up. He wondered if he'd seemed too angry. He wasn't angry with her. No way. He was just angry that they had to keep living like this.

"Hey... Hermione... don't cry." he whispered, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight.

"I-I-I'm not." she stammered.

He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.

"You are. Hermione... if it sounds like I'm saying this isn't worth it... I'm not. If this is what I have to go through to be with you, it's entirely worth it. It's just a bummer, you know?" he sighed, trying to say the right words.

He would never let himself screw things up with Hermione. He couldn't.

"I know, I know. I wish that we could have our lives back too, I really do." she whispered.

"But I would go through this a thousand times to be with you." he whispered back.

He sometimes couldn't believe that he had become the way he had. He knew now that he was a better man that he ever had been. If he hadn't been with Hermione, his life would have gone down a dark path. She had saved him. Her love had saved him.

He heard her sniffle softly and became increasingly confused. Maybe she just still wasn't feeling well. Maybe she was extra tired. She seemed to be quite exhausted these days.

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door.

Draco looked down at Hermione, who was looking like Hermione. He still looked like his Muggle self, as he had been at work, so he would have to answer the door.

"Go." he whispered as they stood.

He kissed her forehead and then walked to the door as Hermione scrambled into their room. He opened the door to find Sophie with Ella on her hip.

"Hi, Thomas!" Sophie smiled.

"Oh, hi Sophie! Hello, little Ella." Draco said, patting Ella on the head.

She immediately reached her arms out for him, and Sophie passed her along. He held her closely and kissed her forehead. He really loved the little girl.

"Thoma!" Ella squealed.

She couldn't pronounce Thomas's name properly. It made him smile.

"What's up, Sophie?" Draco asked.

"Well, I hate to do this... but I've been called into work and I really need someone to watch Ella for me! I can't get the sitter, and Ella loves you both, and I know it's last minute, but-"

"Of course we'll watch Ella." Draco smiled.

Sophie grinned clapped her hands together. She passed Draco the familiar bag with Ella's things and grinned at him.

"I'll be back as soon as I can! I just need to check some things and stuff. Thank you so much!" Sophie exclaimed.

Draco felt Hermione walk up behind him.

"Oh, hey, Rhi!" Sophie said.

"Hi, Sophie."

"Take your time, okay?" Draco said with a smile.

Sophie nodded and leaned to Ella to kiss her on the forehead.

"Mummy will be back soon, okay? I love you, Ella." Sophie whispered.

"Bye mummy!" Ella yelled.

They said their goodbyes and Sophie quickly disappeared. Draco turned to Hermione, who was now her Muggle persona, and smiled.

"We're watching Ella for a little bit." he explained.

Hermione smiled weakly, staring at the little girl in Draco's arms. She loved Ella. She loved her. But, she couldn't stop picturing what her own child would possibly look like in Draco's arms.

If he stayed around.

_ He would stay. He had to stay. I can't do this without him_, Hermione thought.

She felt her hand gingerly touch her stomach and she tried to picture herself being pregnant. She couldn't. It was so hard to believe. Although, with her nausea and dizziness and fatigue, it all made complete sense. Especially since she had realized that she hadn't had her period this month. She hadn't even _though_t about it until she had been sitting in the Hospital Wing after Madam Pomfrey had told her the news.

How had she been so stupid?

"Rhiannon?" Draco asked.

"Sorry, what?" Hermione answered, being snapped away from her thoughts.

"I just asked if you were okay. You looked quite pale there for a second." Draco observed.

"I'm fine, love." Hermione lied.

"Weeannon!" Ella squealed.

"Hi, pretty girl." Hermione grinned, taking the girl from Ella's arms.

She now realized that the more time she spent with Ella, the more prepared she would be.

For the rest of the evening, Hermione and Draco had spent time with Ella. They'd read her stories, played with her, let her colour and do whatever she pleased.

Once Hermione had fixed a simple dinner for Thomas, Ella and herself, Draco pulled her aside so they were out of Ella's earshot.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Draco whispered ever so quietly.

Hermione felt a fake smile plaster upon her face as she nodded. "I'm fine."

He shook his head. "Hermione Jean Granger, I know you and I know when you're not telling the truth."

Hermione felt horrible lying to him, but she couldn't tell him just yet. She needed to sort out her feelings first. She didn't know how to feel, how to think, how to do anything.

There was another life inside of her.

"Draco... please. I'm... I'm okay. Let's just go and eat dinner with Ella." Hermione instructed, placing a slow kiss on his lips.

He nodded, kissing her again and then wrapping an arm around her shoulder, escorting her back to their kitchen and Ella. They sat down, and Hermione watched Draco as he began to eat. Her eyes kept switching between Ella and Draco. Hermione wondered if their own child would sit here, of if they'd be back in their real life when the child was born.

"Wee?" Ella called out.

Hermione looked up at the smiling blonde girl and couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Yes, Ella?" she answered

"You is so pwetty!" Ella squealed.

Hermione just smiled at her.

"You are absolutely right, Ella." Draco added.

Hermione reached over and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Ella. But not nearly as pretty as you, little girl."

Hermione took a deep breath as she looked back at Draco. Right now, she would deal like to spend the moment with Draco and Ella. She didn't want to obsess over her pregnancy. She wanted to enjoy one last moment with Draco, before she went and complicated _everything._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing. :( I wish I knew J.K. Rowling.

**Author's Note:**

**Chapter Sixteen**  
Hermione awoke early the next morning after a horrible sleep. She awoke feeling nauseous and worried. She turned to look at Draco, who was still asleep next to her. She smiled at him. He looked so peaceful and young, just sleeping. She felt his arm draped over her waist and snuggled closer to him. She kissed his nose and watched as he smiled lightly in his sleep.

He looked so content, she almost couldn't believe that she had to ruin it all with her news.

_Their_ news.

As if on cue with her thoughts, Hermione felt instantly worse. She booked it out of bed and ran into the bathroom, making it just in time.

After she was sick a few times, she sat on the cool, tile floor, running her hands through her hair. She felt a few stray tears on her face, and she wiped them away. She was happy that Draco was still sleeping, and she didn't have to explain herself. Though, she knew that the sooner she told him, the better it would be. She couldn't put it off forever.

She pulled herself off the ground and instantly went for her toothbrush to get rid of the putrid taste in her mouth.  
**. . .**  
Draco awoke, instantly noticing the emptiness of the bed. That meant that Hermione was already awake. As he blinked open his eyes, he heard a retching sound coming from the washroom. He knew it was Hermione.

He was so worried about her.

Was it a flu? Was she okay? He decided that he needed to take her to a doctor, even if it was a Muggle doctor.

He got out of bed and hurried into the bathroom to find Hermione leaning against the sink and brushing her teeth. He noticed tear tracks streaked down her face and he instantly wanted to hold her. Even if she was contagious. Though, he did feel fine still.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, stepping to her.

She turned to spit in the sink and then smiled at him, setting her blue toothbrush down.

"Yes." she said, sounding overly calm.

He raised an eyebrow at her and stepped closer so he could kiss her forehead. He felt her wrap her arms around his waist and he pulled her closer.

"Hermione..." he sighed, knowing that she was lying. "I'm worried about you."

"Let's just go eat breakfast and have some tea, okay?" Hermione whispered into his chest.

Draco leaned down and kissed the top of her head, before following her into the kitchen.

Hermione started for the kettle, but Draco shooed her away, gesturing for her to sit at the kitchen table. Hermione didn't protest, sitting down and resting her head on the table. After he'd put the kettle on, Hermione felt Draco stand behind her and start rubbing her back.

"We need to take you to a doctor." Draco said suddenly.

_Yes. Yes we do. But not the type you're thinking of_, Hermione thought to herself.

"I..." Hermione started.

She needed to tell him. She didn't want to put it off. She needed him to know the truth.

"I went to a doctor." she said, pulling her head up from the counter.

She looked as Draco's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? When? Who?" he asked, sitting down on a chair next to her.

"Yesterday. I went to see Madam Pomfrey."

"Madam... Madam _Pomfrey_?" he asked, sounding to be in disbelief.

Hermione nodded rather quickly. "D-Dumbledore came and got me. I wrote to him in the book yesterday, like you said, and he came and got me. Harry and Ron met me there and Harry gave me his Invisibility Cloak, and I went to see Madam Pomfrey." she started, her words tumbling out of her mouth quickly.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" he asked. "Wait, forget that. Are you okay? What did she say?"

She felt her chest tighten with nerves. She was about to tell Draco something that would change both of their lives forever, and he had no idea.

"I'm... I'm okay." she decided, choosing her words carefully.

He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Okay, good, thank Merlin."

She just nodded at him, bracing herself.

"But... if you're okay... then what is going on, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked him straight in his beautiful eyes.

"Draco, I'm pregnant."

She watched as his face froze. She swore that he had stopped breathing. He was silent, just staring at her. She decided to let him sit in silence for a few moments until she couldn't take it any longer.

"Draco, please say something." she whispered.

He still said nothing.  
**. . .**  
Hermione was pregnant. She was pregnant.

_ Pregnant._

Draco couldn't believe her words. Had she actually just said that? He couldn't believe it. They were going to have a baby. A baby.

"Draco." Hermione whispered again.

He tried to force words out, but had no luck. He managed to start breathing again and blinked a few times.

"You're pregnant." he repeated, sounding strangled.

He watched as she nodded quickly, her brown eyes shining brightly with tears.

"Y-yes." she answered, shakily.

"As... as in pregnancy."

"Yes."

"As in a baby."

"Yes."

"As in-"

"Draco, _yes_. I am having a baby. We are having a... a baby."

Draco blinked at her a few more times, trying to process this new information. It all made sense now. Why Hermione had been sleeping later than him. Why she had been feeling awful. Why hadn't he guessed this before? Had she had her suspicions?

"Wow." he breathed.  
** . . .**  
"Yeah." Hermione whispered.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he happy?

Was_ she_ happy about it?

She had been in such shock about the news, but after Draco had said a baby, something inside Hermione had softened.

She had always wanted children. Always. Even though it was going to happen way earlier than expected, she realized that maybe she could be... happy about it. She was going to have a child. _They_ were going to have a child. She was going to be a Mother.

"A baby." Draco said again.

Hermione nodded. She heard the kettle whistle and she ran to move it. She came back and stood next to Draco, pulling him to his feet.

"A baby." Hermione echoed.

"H-how do you feel about this?" Draco asked, his voice shaking.

"I'm scared out of my mind. But, I think I'm also happy about it. I mean, I know we're really young but... I think we can do it. I mean... if you want to. I wouldn't force you to stick around." Hermione stammered.

What if Draco didn't want to stick around? What if he left her? Then what would she do? How would she raise a child on her own?

"Hermione... of course I'm going to stick around. It's my kid, too." Draco said softly.

Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes and she stepped into him, letting a sob escape into his chest.

"Thank you." she whispered.

She felt him start to stroke her hair and hold her tighter.

"We're having a baby." Hermione whispered.  
** . . .**  
Draco was going to be a father. _A father_. What if he was awful at it? What if he was like his own father? They were so young. Draco had enough money to support a family, no doubt, but still... what if he couldn't do it?

He'd always wanted a family. He loved children.

He loved Hermione.

Maybe this was what he needed.

"We are." he said softly.

Hermione looked up at Draco. He watched the tears fall out of her sweet, brown eyes. He knew they were a mixture of happy and worry, because he felt the same way.

"We're gonna be parents." she gasped, her shining eyes widening.

"You're going to be the best Mum ever." Draco said, kissing her gently.

Draco stepped away from her and poured them two mugs of tea. He picked up his wand and waved the mugs to their coffee table in their living room. He took Hermione's hand and pulled her over to the couch. Once they'd sat down, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

"It'll... it'll be okay." he decided.

"I need to make a doctor's appointment. I might ask Sophie who her doctor was." Hermione explained.

She then went further into detail of her visit to Hogwarts, especially about what Madam Pomfrey had done and said. He realized that they needed to tell Dumbledore, as who knew what the reaction of Death Eaters and Voldemort would be if they got a hold of this news.

"And Polyjuice Potion is okay to take?" he asked.

Hermione nodded quickly. "Yes, thankfully."

Draco kissed her temple and passed her the phone to call Sophie.

"Sh-should I do it now?" Hermione asked, staring at the phone and then at Draco.

"It's probably better to go see a Doctor sooner rather than later." Draco observed.

"You're right. I've got no idea how far along I am." Hermione answered.

Draco watched as she dialed Sophie's phone number and place the phone against her ear. She leaned into him and sighed.

"Hi Sophie... it's Rhiannon... yeah, well thanks... Listen, could you pop by for a little bit? As soon as you can... yeah... yeah, sure. That works... okay... okay... see you then."

Hermione hung up and placed the phone down next to her. She stood up pulling Draco to his feet.

"She's coming over in five minutes. We need to take some potion." Hermione instructed.

They headed into their bedroom and he sat down on the bed as Hermione waved her wand to make their potion appear. He placed his head in his hands and he felt Hermione rub his shoulders.

"Draco..." Hermione sighed.

He sat up, knowing that he had to be strong for her. Not only did he have to protect her, but now he had to protect the person inside of her. Their child.

He took the potion from her hands and drank some, feeling the change instantly. He watched as Hermione did the same. He watched her place a hand over her stomach and he looked up at her pale, changing face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hoping she could keep her potion down.

She nodded quickly, keeping her eyes closed. Draco took a deep breath in and reached out a hand. He placed it gently on her stomach and he watched as she snapped open her newly blue eyes. He smiled softly at her and and stood up, never removing his hand from her stomach.

They heard a knock from the door and Draco pulled Hermione in close, pressing his lips upon hers.  
** . . .**  
Hermione pulled away from her boyfriend and smiled at him before prancing away to open the door for Sophie. After she pulled the door open, she smiled at Sophie and Ella.

"Wee!" Ella squealed.

"Hi, Ella." Hermione smiled at her.

"Where Thoma?" Ella called out as Sophie placed her down from her arms.

"I'm right here, Ella. Hi Sophie." Draco said from behind them.

Hermione turned to watch as Ella ran to Draco who instantly lifted her up and hugged her. Draco was wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt, and looked about as sleepy as she must. She was still in her pajamas as well.

"So, what's up Rhiannon?" Sophie asked, sounding concerned.

Hermione took a deep breath and motioned for her to sit on the couch with her. They sat and Sophie's eyes widened in wonder and curiosity.

"I... I need the name of a doctor of yours." Hermione said, deciding to dance around the subject a little bit longer.

Sophie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Okay, sure."

"The doctor you were with when you were pregnant with Ella."

"Oh yeah, absolutely. She was great. She-"

A look of realization passed across Sophie's face. Her mouth dropped open into a huge surprised smile.

"Oh my god! You're...!"

"Yeah. I'm pregnant."

Hermione was proud of herself for saying it out loud again. It seemed the more that she said it out loud, the more real it seemed. Even if she still couldn't exactly quite believe it.

"Oh my god! Rhiannon!" Sophie screamed.

She clasped at Hermione and pulled her into a hug. Hermione laughed as she hugged her friend back tightly.

"Congratulations! How do you feel?"

Hermione bit her lip nervously. "Well, I don't know, really. I'm terrified and happy all at once!"

Sophie grinned at her. "That's exactly how I was when I found out I was pregnant with Ella. Except, at least you know Thomas will stick around."

Hermione looked over at Draco who was sitting on the floor in front of their room with Ella. She watched as he smiled at Ella while she giggled.

"Yeah." Hermione said, believing it.

"The way he looks at you is amazing, you know?" Sophie observed.

Hermione felt herself blush as she looked once again at Draco and the little girl. He would be an amazing father to their child.

"He's amazing." she said softly.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing.

**Author's Note**: Sorry, i think it's been a while since I last posted. It's exam time, and things are hectic. Please, please do review! I love getting them, and they make my day! 3 I hope you enjoy.

** Chapter Seventeen**  
"Drac... Thomas, I'm so nervous." Hermione stammered quietly under her breath.

So was he. He was incredibly nervous.

The two of them were sitting in the waiting room at a London hospital. It had been a few days since Draco had learned of his girlfriend's pregnancy, and it still felt all unreal. She had immediately phoned the doctor that Sophie had recommended and had booked an appointment for later in the week. Hermione had already gotten her blood taken by a nurse, and now they were waiting to see the doctor.

"Love... it'll be okay." Draco reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze.

He watched as Hermione in her muggle persona bit her lip nervously. They were going to have a sonogram done today, hopefully. If she was far enough along. Both of them didn't know how far along she was. She had said that she couldn't be too far along, but she couldn't pinpoint the date of conception exactly.

"Oh my God." Hermione whispered in a small voice.

"Rhiannon, it will be-"

"No, no. _Look_!"

Draco followed Hermione's pointing hand to a middle aged Muggle couple standing near the Nurses' Station.

"What?" Draco asked, confused.  
** . . .**  
Hermione felt her breath escape her as she looked across the waiting room.

Her parents.

Her parents were standing merely feet away from her.

Her parents.

"_Those are my parents!_" she whispered so softly that she felt Draco bend closer to her to hear.

"Bloody hell." he mumbled.

Hermione just gazed at them in disbelief. What were they doing here? Was everything alright? She wanted nothing more than to go see them. To hug them. To talk to them

"I have to go talk to them." she said, starting to get up.

She was stopped by Draco's firm grip on her arm as he pulled her back down.

"No, you can't! _Rhiannon_, you don't know those people." Draco sighed.

Hermione shook her head. Of course she didn't know them. She wasn't Hermione right now. She was Rhiannon McCarthy. She watched as they started towards her. She felt her breath catch and she looked at Draco. His eyes were wide.

Why were they coming over?

Did they _know_?

Of course they didn't know. They_ couldn't_ know.

Hermione watched as her mother sat next to her on an empty chair, as her father sat beside her mother. Hermione looked at Draco and tried to take a deep breath. She felt ill.

Why did she feel ill?

Oh right. She was pregnant.

She looked around desperately for a bathroom and was relieved when she spotted one. She grabbed her purse which held the Polyjuice Potion and bolted to the bathroom.

A few moments later, she drank the potion, popped some gum in her mouth and walked out of the bathroom, returning to her chair.

"Are you alright, dear?" Mrs. Granger asked.

Hermione felt her throat close up, as if she tried to speak, no sound would come out.

"Rhiannon here just has a spot of morning sickness." Draco explained from next to her.

Right. She was Rhiannon. Not Hermione Granger. These weren't Rhiannon's parents.

"Y-yes. Morning sickness. It's awful." Hermione said, her voice sounding strange.

She watched as her mother smiled at her sympathetically.

"Oh yeah. I remember how horrible it can be. When I was pregnant years and years ago, I had some tough morning sickness. It went away though, right after the first trimester was over. But up until then, I couldn't keep anything down for the most part." she explained.

Hermione nodded, taking in every word. She had been wishing that she could talk to her mother about her pregnancy, and now she was here.

"S-sounds like me these days." she stammered. She took a breath, trying to sound normal. "How many kids do you have?"

"Just the one. A girl, probably a little younger than you." she explained with a sad smile.

Hermione's heart hurt just looking at them. She didn't realize how much she had missed them.

"Word of advice, son. When she wants ice cream at 2 in the morning... just go out and get some for her." Mr. Granger said, leaning forward and smiling at Draco.

Draco laughed lightly. "Good advice."

"You mustn't be far along. You can't even tell." Mrs. Granger observed.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. That's what we're here to find out."

Mrs. Granger smiled at the both of them.

"May I ask what you're here for?" Draco asked.

Hermione was grateful. That was all she needed to know. She just needed to know if they were okay. Hermione felt Draco's grip tighten around her hand and she gave a weak squeeze back.

"I'm here for my first round of chemo." Mr. Granger explained.

Hermione's world stopped. She couldn't believe what her father had just said. Her father had cancer? _Cancer_? She turned her head to look at Draco. She could tell that he had no idea what chemotherapy was.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. May I ask what your diagnosis is?" Hermione said, barely holding it together.

"Of course. Stage 2 prostate cancer. They're hoping that they didn't catch it too late, so we're being optimistic." he explained.

Hermione felt her mouth dry and she held back a squeal.

Her dad had cancer.

Her dad was dying.

"We both really hope that you'll turn out okay." Draco said slowly, gripping Hermione's hand even tighter.

"Yes." Hermione heard herself echo.

"Why, thank you."

"Rhiannon McCarthy?" a voice called.

Hermione looked away from her parents to see a friendly nurse smiling at her.

"Coming." Hermione replied to her, raising her hand.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you, dear. Both of you. I hope everything goes well with your pregnancy." Mrs. Granger said warmly.

Hermione looked into her kind eyes and wanted nothing more to tell her who she was. But that would put everyone in danger.

"Yes, thank you. I hope everything turns out okay for the both of you." Hermione said softly.

"Thank you...?" Mrs. Granger said, no doubt looking for her name.

"Oh, Rhiannon. And this is Thomas." Hermione introduced.

"Thank you, Rhiannon and Thomas. I'm Laura, and this is Daniel." her mother said.

Hermione nodded. They said their goodbyes and Hermione and Draco hurried to the nurse.

They led them to an exam room, telling Hermione to change into a gown and that the Doctor would be along in a few minutes. As Hermione changed, the fact that her dad was sick never left her mind for an instant.

"H-Hermione?" Draco asked, his voice hesitant.

As Hermione did up the gown, she turned to him and nodded.

"I'm sorry but... what exactly is cancer?" Draco asked.

Hermione hoisted herself up so she was sitting on the examination table. She ran her hand over her stomach, resting it there to try and calm herself. She felt tears spring to her eyes and willed herself not to cry. At least not until they were in the safety of their apartment.

"It's... it's quite a bad disease. It mucks up your cells and is just really, really awful. But Stage 2 means that it hasn't progressed too far yet, which hopefully helps them stop it." she explained, her voice sounding small and scared.

"And chemo is?" he asked, sounding sorry that he didn't know.

"Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer. To try and stop it. It's supposedly really gruesome." Hermione said quietly.  
**. . .**  
Draco mentally kicked himself for asking, but he knew that he had to understand what was going on with Hermione's father. He couldn't believe that they had run into them. He couldn't believe that he'd met her parents for the first time and they hadn't been able to be themselves.

He watched as Hermione breathed deeply. He could tell by the way she was sitting, just by her posture, that she was trying to hold it together. He walked to her and pulled her close against his chest, kissing the top of her head over and over again.

"I'm so sorry, love." he whispered to her. "I'm so sorry."

He heard her breathing turn shaky. He felt her pull herself away from him, but keeping his hand tightly intertwined with hers.

"I can't talk about this right now. I can't cry here." Hermione explained.

Draco understood. He could tell that she was dying on the inside right now. He wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly and take away her fear and pain.

"Hello!" a voice called out.

Into the room walked a brown haired doctor with a warm smile. She looked at Hermione and then at Draco, reaching out to shake both of their hands.

"I'm Doctor Bennett, and you must be Rhiannon." she said with a smile, sitting on a stool near Hermione's exam table.

Hermione nodded and smiled weakly. Draco stood by her, squeezing her hand.

"Yes, and this is my boyfriend, Thomas." she said, gesturing to Draco.

"Nice to meet you." he drawled.

Draco watched as Dr. Bennett pulled out a folder and opened it, reading silently to herself for a few moments.

"Well, Rhiannon, it appears here that you're about 8 weeks along, so hopefully we'll be able to listen for a heartbeat and pull a picture up on the monitor, alright?" Dr. Bennett announced.

Draco watched as Hermione's eyes widened. He was sure that his did the same. This was all becoming very, very real. She was 8 weeks along. Eight. Draco suddenly became very absorbed in his thoughts and barely heard any of the words that Dr. Bennett was saying.

"Thomas? Thomas." he heard Hermione call out softly.

"Sorry, yeah?" he asked.

Hermione reached to grab his hand and squeezed it.

"Now, this will be cold." Dr. Bennett explained.

He realized that Hermione's bottom half had been covered and her gown had been pushed up. He watched as Dr. Bennett squirted a blue liquid onto her stomach and start moving around a very peculiar looking object. He suddenly heard a very odd thumping noise.

"There's your baby."  
** . . .**  
Hermione felt her eyes immediately well up in tears. Not the kind of tears that she had been feeling minute previous, but happy tears. Tears of absolute joy. On the monitor was her baby. There was really a baby in her. A baby made by her and Draco.

"Right there?" she heard Draco say in a faraway voice.

"Yes, right there." Dr. Bennett answered, pointing to the screen. "And you hear that? That's the heartbeat. You've got one healthy, strong kid in there."

Hermione was speechless as she stared at the monitor. She was suddenly so happy that she didn't know what to do with herself. She was also terrified. But right now, the joy trumped the fear.

"I'll give you two a minute." Dr. Bennet said.

Hermione heard the sound of a closing door and knew that she was gone.

"Hermione... that's our..." Draco whispered softly.

Hermione raised her free hand and covered her mouth, a few tears slipping out of her eyes.

"Hermione?" Draco asked, sounding concerned.

She managed to tear her eyes away from the monitor to look at Draco. He noticed his misty eyes and she squeezed his hand, moving the other away from her mouth.

"That's our baby." she whispered.

Draco nodded enthusiastically. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"We're having a baby." she whispered.

He nodded at her with a goofy, uncontainable grin upon his face. "We are."

He grabbed her face and placed his lips firmly upon hers. She smiled into the kiss as it deepened and her hands grabbed his hair in delight. She pulled away, remembering that they were in a doctor's office. She also wanted to look at the tiny, tiny barely a baby, baby inside of her on the monitor.

"Do you think it' s a boy or a girl?" Hermione whispered with excitement.

Draco seemed to think about it for a few moments, as did Hermione. She wasn't sure what she hoped it would be. She would be happy with either and love them all the same.

"I hope it's a girl who's just like you." Draco said softly.

Hermione tore her eyes away from the monitor and smiled at him with more happy tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Oh, Draco..." she whispered.

"I mean, I'd love a little Malfoy boy, too, but... spending all this time with Ella really makes me want a girl." he explained.

Hermione kissed him happily, enjoying the moment with the boy she loved.  
** . . .**  
The next morning, Draco lay with a sniffling Hermione as he had for most of the night. She had been so upset about her father's cancer. Late into the night, she'd awoken suddenly, sobbing her eyes out. Draco had tried to calm her down, and she had spent the rest of the night and into the morning crying softly in his arms.

"Hermione." Draco whispered.

She sniffled some more and adjusted herself in Draco's arms to look up at him.

"Y-y-yeah?" she stuttered.

He looked at her. His beautiful girlfriend with her brown hair and brown enchanting eyes filled with sorrow.

"Would you like some tea, love?" he asked.

She hoisted herself up to a sitting position. He watched as she placed a hand over her stomach.

"Yes please. But first -" she started.

He watched as she stood up and ran out of the room. He heard an awful retching sound and knew that it was her morning sickness. He quickly hopped out of bed, wearing only his boxers, and ran to the bathroom. He held back her hair and waited calmly as she finished.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she moaned. "It's so gross."

"It's alright." he said, even though he agreed that it was gross.

But he would sit her and hold her hair for as long as she needed. He wasn't letting her go through any of this alone. If he had had any doubts at all about his involvement in her pregnancy, they had all vanished when he had seen his baby on the monitor.

"Would you go put the kettle on?" Hermione asked weakly, sitting back on the cold, tile floor.

"Of course." he said, leaning to kiss her head before getting up.

He heard the water start to run and knew she was brushing her teeth, meaning that she was feeling a little better. Better enough to leave the toilet. He watched as she came slowly out of the bathroom and made her way over to him. She instantly leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Hermione whispered.

Draco felt his eyes mist over, full of the sadness he felt for her having to experience yet another complication in her life.

She was wearing a light grey t-shirt and he thought of the scars on her arms. He held her tightly and kissed her head.

"I think he'll be fine." he whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

He had never wished for anything more in his entire life.

"I really hope so." she sighed.

As Draco held her closely, he wished that her parents and his could trade places. He wished that his father would have cancer and that Hermione's father would be perfectly fine. Even though Lucius was in Azkaban, he was most likely healthy. He would give anything to stop Hermione's hurt.

"You'll be okay, too." he added quietly.

Hermione looked up at him with shining eyes and kissed him gently.

"Thank you."

**Author's Note:** Please, please review! xx


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** All things belong to J.K Rowling.

**Chapter Eighteen**  
Months passed and soon Hermione was almost 6 months along. Hermione and Draco had been living at 17 Brooks Drive for over a year now. It had been a lovely April so far, and word was that Harry had destroyed another Horcrux. The news had greatly excited both Draco and Hermione, as they were constantly wondering if they would be back in their world before the birth of their child.

Hermione was getting bigger by the day, but her morning sickness had stopped. She had been teetering back and forth about knowing the sex of the baby before birth, but she had decided that she did in fact want to know. Her and Draco had a few names stored away, but nothing had been decided yet.

She had told Dumbledore about her pregnancy and her father, and he had promised to place even more protective enchantments over them to keep them safe. He promised that no word of their baby would reach the Death Eaters. He also had told Hermione that he would try and help her father in the best way he could.

"So, are we ready?" Dr. Bennett asked.

They were in for their newest ultrasound and had also decided to learn the sex. Hermione was beyond excited and she could tell that Draco was too. They had been bickering on and off about the possibility of the sex for a few months now and were both anxious to know.

"Yes." Hermione announced.

She smiled contently at Draco who was seated next to her on a stool, holding her hand. After a few moments of Dr. Bennett moving around on Hermione's stomach, an image of their continually growing baby appeared on the screen.

Seeing their baby always took Hermione's breath away. She felt her breath catch as a smile grew upon her face. She looked at Draco, seeing the joy in his eyes and grinned even larger.

"Now, we're learning the sex today, right?" Dr. Bennett confirmed.

Hermione looked at Draco who nodded at her. He had wanted to know from the start, but wouldn't dare ask unless she was on board.

"Yes." Hermione said happily.

"Well..." Dr. Bennett started, looking at the monitor. "It looks as though you are having a girl."

Hermione gasped and smiled widely. She looked at Draco, who's blissful eyes were becoming misty, much like her own. Dr. Bennett smiled at them as they listened to the heartbeat. Hermione couldn't believe how happy her pregnancy was making her. She was still scared, scared that she wouldn't be a good mother, but happy nonetheless.

"I'll give you two a minute." Dr. Bennett said, making her way out the door.

Hermione looked at Draco again, just as he was running a hand through his brown Muggle hair.

"I knew it was a girl." Draco said with a grin, kissing Hermione's hand.

"We're having a girl." Hermione echoed.

She felt herself start to cry with happiness and she almost laughed at herself. The damn pregnancy hormones were making her so emotional. She knew it was driving Draco crazy.

"Are these happy tears?" Draco asked for confirmation.

"Yes. Very, _very_ happy tears." Hermione blubbered.

Draco leaned close to her and kissed her repeatedly.

Hermione's pregnancy had brought them so close, closer than before. Draco had taken to doing more and more things without magic around the house, much to Hermione's delight, even if she did love and miss magic. He always packed her food to take to work with her. He'd stopped complaining about his work, except for the occasional grumping about. They rarely ever had a row. It was a big step for them. It was wonderful.

Hermione often wondered whether or not Draco had thought about marriage. She didn't want to get married just because she was pregnant. But, she knew that she wanted to marry Draco. She desperately wanted to. She knew that she wanted to be with him forever. She was perfectly content with just being his live-in girlfriend of course, but she knew that she had to marry him. She sincerely hoped that he felt the same.

"I guess this crosses off half the names from our list." Draco observed later on as they were leaving the hospital.

Hermione nodded as her and Draco stepped into an alleyway. They quickly Disapparated, landing in their apartment behind a closed door.  
** . . .**  
Draco looked at Hermione. She was glowing with radiant happiness. He bent down to kiss her belly, and then stood up to kiss her lips. He watched as her face began to change back into her own. They had gotten the time that the Polyjuice Potion would last for down to a science. He couldn't help but grin at her. She was so happy. He was so happy.

His eyes quickly looked at the _Mudblood_ scar on her arm. She had been wearing a t-shirt, as she had been her Muggle persona for the day. He thought about how incident had really been one of the key things that brought them together.

Would they have still been together if she hadn't had the dreams?

He didn't care. He was just happy that he had found her. He still hated his Aunt, and would forever until she was gone. He hated that they had to live in fear. He was still so angry inside, but a lot of the time, all that fear was replaced with the joy of Hermione and his unborn daughter. Draco placed his hand gently on the small of Hermione's back as they walked into their bedroom. She sat down on their bed, and he completed his ritual of opening their drawer and pulling out both communication books - the one with Dumbledore and the one with his mother.

He opened Dumbledore's and quickly scrawled a message telling him that it was a girl, as they had agreed to keep Dumbledore continually updated.

Then, he opened his Mother's. His Mother had never messaged him since the word had gotten out about him and Hermione. Still, after over a year, there was silence.

Until right now.

_Draco, I need to see you. We need to talk._

"Uh... Hermione?" he called out in a strangled voice.

He turned to her with frantic eyes.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

He watched as her eyes noticed the communication book. She stood up as quickly as she could manage with her large belly, and took the book out of his hands. She looked back up at him in confusion.

"But... why? Why now?" Hermione asked.

Draco sat down on the bed, in utter shock. Why would his Mother ever feel the need to contact him now of all times? Should he answer? Should he ignore it?

"Should I answer?" Draco asked.

He watched as Hermione bit her lip. After a few moments she nodded.

"If you want to, you should. The book doesn't give away our location, so just make sure you don't tell her anything about where we are." Hermione said, picking her word carefully.

Draco, despite all his anger towards her, missed his mother. Even if she didn't love him, he missed her. The small acts of kindness she showed him occasionally despite the cruelness and hatred of his father. He picked up his quill and opened the book, preparing to write to his mother.

_ Mother, why now? Why do you suddenly want to speak now after over a year of silence?_

He waited anxiously, hoping that his mother would reply instantly. He felt Hermione sit down next to him and gently start to rub his shoulders.

_ Because we need to speak. You are my son, and I need to speak with you._

Draco sighed, as she wasn't giving him any information. He was suddenly so angry that he wanted to throw the book and quill across the room and throw hexes at anything. He jumped as Hermione took one of his hands and placed it over her stomach. He felt the little flutter inside of her and realized that their baby girl was kicking again. The first time she had kicked, Draco had been so ecstatic. He felt his stress slowly start to trickle away as he felt the life inside of his girlfriend moving.

"She's really kicking." he whispered, looking into Hermione's eyes.

She nodded with a smile upon her lips. "Yeah, she is."

Draco thought of his daughter, and how in three short months, he would be meeting her. He used that strength to force himself to reply to his mum.

_ Mother, this isn't fair. I can't come see you. We can't see each other. Not now. You can't just contact me after over a year of silence._

Draco couldn't believe this. He had finally accepted the fact that he would never speak the family again, despite the fact that he checked the communication book everyday.

_ I couldn't contact you, Draco. Not even if I wanted to._  
_ Your father. He's escaped from Azakaban. He's been keeping a close eye on me, as has Aunt Bella. We need to talk about you and Hermione Granger. There are things you don't know._

Draco looked up at Hermione, who was staring intently at the page with confusion. He tried to absorb the words that his Mother had written.

"Great. So now we have another person to be worried about." Draco huffed, complaining about his father.

So, then how are you writing to me now? Where is he? Where are you? You don't need to speak with me about Hermione. You don't know anything about us.

"Draco, love, it's okay." Hermione murmured next to him.

He felt her hand touch his cheek and he realized that his breathing rate had increased dramatically. He was getting quite more worked up than he had realized.

_ There's a prophecy, Draco. I knew about you and Hermione Granger before you had even met her. Ask Professor Dumbledore. Ask him, please._

"Did you read that?" Draco asked frantically.

A prophecy?

What the hell did she mean? What was she getting at?  
** . . .**  
Hermione was beyond confused.

A prophecy about what? About her and Draco being together? She watched as another message appeared in the book from Draco's Mother.

_ I know there will be a baby, if there isn't already._

Hermione's mouth hung open, as did Draco's. She immediately grabbed the quill out of her boyfriend's hand and scribbled a message to Professor Dumbledore, explaining in short detail what was going on and asking him to come to their flat.

_ I'll be right there._

Hermione stood up, pulling Draco along with her. She squeezed his hand and placed the other upon her extremely large stomach. She realized that she was sort of nervous to see Professor Dumbledore, as nobody from her real world had seen her since before she had started showing.

She turned to Draco and placed a quick kiss on his lips. She felt their baby kick again and guided his hand back there, hoping it would calm him down. She watched as his face softened a tad, smiling down at her belly.

"My girl." he whispered.

Hermione just nodded, happy that he was so content about her pregnancy still. A few moments later, and Professor Dumbledore appeared in front of them. Hermione was suddenly very self-conscious about the current size of her and she felt her face redden.

"Hello." he said, his wise eyes sparkling.

"Hi, Professor."

"Look, what on earth is my mother talking about?" Draco asked, cutting straight to the point. "What prophecy?"

Professor Dumbledore just smiled sadly at them, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid in your absence, I've discovered something." he started. "You see-"

"Wait." Hermione cut in, raising a hand and placing the other on her stomach.

She winced as her baby girl kicked her hard. She needed to sit down. She watched as Draco looked at her, full of concern.

"I need to sit down. She's just really kicking." Hermione explained, weakly smiling at both of them and making her way to their couch.

Draco sat next to her, with Dumbledore in a seat across from them. She placed a hand on her stomach again and leaned back. She nodded at Dumbledore, willing him to continue.

"First of all, my sincere congratulations to the both you. I have a feeling that you will make the most wonderful parents. Your daughter is very lucky."

"Thank you." they both replied in unison with a smile on both their faces.

"Now, let me continue. A few weeks after your departure to this lovely neighborhood, I was informed of something by Professor Snape. Severus told me that when you, Draco, were born, there was a prophecy made about you."

"But, didn't Potter destroy all the prophecies?"

"Oh yes, but nonetheless, your parents knew about it from the moment it was told. It was said that you were to end up with Miss. Granger and together, the two of you will produce a very special daughter."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. Of course their daughter would be special. She was their daughter.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean special?" Draco asked, sounding just as confused as she was.

"Your daughter will become one of the most talented witches our world has ever seen. It will be quite obvious from an early age, and the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort see her to be a great threat."

Draco and Hermione exchanged a confused and worried glance. Hermione looked down at her stomach.

"The prophecy has said that once she has a wand in her hands, she will be able to read minds." Dumbledore revealed.

Hermione's mouth dropped open.

Her daughter would be able to _read minds_?

"That's crazy! How?" Draco yelled.

"It is uncertain. It is a trait that is rarely heard of. They see her as a major threat to Dark Wizards everywhere. Of course, she will not get her own wand until age 11. But, you never know what will happen. You will have to wait until she is born."

Hermione sat back further on the couch and tried to take in this information.

It was hard to process, hard to believe even.

"What should I say to my mother?" Draco asked quietly.

"That is up to you, Draco. However, I wish that you do not reveal your location, for you do not know her loyalties. Am I correct?" Dumbledore instructed.

Draco shook his head sadly. "No, I don't."

"Then you will do what you feel is right for you and your family."

Hermione looked at Draco. They were each other's family. They really were. It felt as though they always had been.

"Now, I must get back. I have a meeting with the Order." Dumbledore said.

He wished them all well and left quickly, leaving Hermione and Draco alone with each other.

"Our daughter will be able to read minds." Hermione said quietly.  
** . . .**  
Draco picked up his mother's book and a quill and started quickly writing a message to her.

_ Mother, you've wanted nothing to do with me for over a year. I don't care what you have to say. You have no right to know if there is a baby or not. You do not get to tell me what to do, and you certainly will __never__ tell me who to love. I'm with Hermione. Your silence has lost you a son._

Draco immediately felt sad after writing those words. There were days when he longed for his Mother, as she had been the only one who ever seemed like she truly cared about him.

He placed the book down and looked at Hermione's large stomach. He leaned down and kissed her belly before sitting back up and kissing her lips with all the passion he could muster.

"Draco." she mumbled between kisses.

He knew that she was going to tell him that it was alright. And she was right. But right now, it didn't feel alright. She was his mother. She had raised him. It felt so strange.

"Draco, love. Come on." Hermione whispered.

He suddenly noticed his vision become blurry with tears as she led him into their room. Everyday, he was even more amazed by her strength and the beauty with which she handled everything. He cursed himself for breaking down. She was the pregnant one. She was the one who had a parent dying of cancer. She was the one who needed comforting, not him. He shouldn't be struggling. He should be providing for her.

He blinked away his tears, swallowing the sadness. He sat down on their bed, pulling her down with him. He cupped her face gently in his hands and sighed.

"Our baby girl is going to be able to _read minds_. How bloody brilliant is that?" he whispered, kissing her softly.

He watched as a smile grew upon her face. "She's not even here and I already love her so much."

He kissed her stomach again, and then her lips. He did too. He loved his new family. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with the two of them. It didn't matter where, as long as he had them.

**Author's Note:** I think it may have been a while, and I apologize for that! I'm going to aim to put up a chapter once a week now, hopefully on the same day. We'll see how things go! Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW! I love reading what everybody thinks! Thanks for reading! xx


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing. Everything belongs to J.K Rowling and her brilliance.

**Chapter Nineteen**  
Hermione was crying.

She was crying and crying and crying. Draco had gone out to the store to buy her ice cream, and she couldn't stop crying.  
It wasn't as if there was anything wrong, because, other than the obvious, there wasn't. She was just so full of hormones that she couldn't stop crying. Earlier she had yelled at Draco because he had forgotten about the kettle. Then she'd laughed when he'd apologized. Then she'd cried when he brought her her herbal tea.

It was getting ridiculous.

She heard the door open from her spot on the couch and twisted her head to see Draco walk in, looking like his Muggle self, with a cautious smile on his face.

"Hi Her - oh no." he said, walking over to her.

He placed the ice cream down on the table in front of them and sat next to Hermione. He seemed tentative as he moved towards her, as if he wasn't sure if he should hold her or give her space. Hermione wasn't sure exactly what she needed either.

"I-I-I can't s-s-top!" Hermione wailed.

She was sick of crying. Sick of it. She needed to stop. She had to.

"Why? What's happened now?" he questioned.

"Because I'm pregnant, you git!" she yelled.

"I know love, is there... is there anything I can do?" Draco asked, reaching out to take one of her trembling hands.

"Dr-Draco, I want to go h-h-h-ome!" she cried.

** . . .**

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, thinking about how to handle his crying, overly hormonal, pregnant girlfriend. He had dealt with her tears many, many times in the time that they'd been together, but this was different.

"I know, love. I know." he whispered.

"My-my-my dad is sick! Harry and R-Ron are hunting for H-H-Horcruxes all by thems-s-selves! I n-n-n-need to go home!" she sobbed.  
She pushed herself up off of the couch with much effort, as her stomach was ever expanding at her being seven months pregnant. Draco stood up and helped to steady her.

"Hermione, love, we can't go home. We've got to stay here, remember?" he said soothingly, reaching for her hand.

She gripped his hand tightly and continued sniffly.

"I _know_ th-that. I'm pregnant, not stupid!" she snapped.

"I never said you were -"

He stopped himself. He didn't want to accidentally start a fight with Hermione. They needed each other. There was no sense in fighting. Draco thought about what he had hidden in their room in his top drawer. He had been thinking of it every day since he'd bought it. He needed to give it to Hermione, he just didn't know the right time. While he had been out buying ice cream, he'd wondered if he should give it to her today, but now that she was sobbing, it didn't seem like the right time.

Draco knew _nothing_ about dealing with a hormonal pregnant woman.

_Nothing._

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her tentatively.

Hermione sniffled and she nodded. "Ask D-D-Dumbledore if we can c-c-c-come home for a v-v-visit!"

Draco was shocked, not expecting that at all. He wasn't sure if that was allowed. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of their hiding?

"H-h-he let me do it once when I h-h-had to see Madam Pomfrey!" she added, her voice continually breaking.

Draco sighed, not wanting to tell her that her chances were slim. He stood up, kissing her forehead, and then ventured into their room, pulling out Dumbledore's communication book.

_ Professor Dumbledore. It's Draco._  
_ Hermione is... she's hormonal. Very hormonal. She wants to come home for a visit. I think she's missing Potter and Weasley and her parents. She won't stop crying. I don't know if a visit is even possible but, I've been told to ask. And I can't argue with a pregnant woman._

He sat, not wanting to go see Hermione until he had a reply. He hoped and prayed that the Headmaster had his book with him right now.

_ Very well. I don't think one visit will hurt. I'll summon Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley at once. You and Miss. Granger get ready. I'll be along in a minute._

Draco was shocked that Dumbledore had agreed. He smiled and ran out into the living room to tell Hermione the good news.

"Hermione!" he called.

He found her sitting on the couch with the pint of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in her hands, and a spoon in her mouth. She put the ice cream down and turned to look at him with her tear-filled eyes.

"What?" she asked quietly.

He bounded over to her. As he did, he noticed his skin become his regular paleness and he knew that he was beginning to look like himself again. He pulled Hermione up to her feet and tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear.

"We get to go to Hogwarts for a visit with Potter and Weasley, love." he told her softly.

He watched her quivering frown grow into a beaming smile as more and more tears leaked from her eyes. She threw her arms around him as she continued sobbing.

"More crying?" he asked weakly, hugging her as close as he could with the barrier that was her pregnant stomach.

"I c-c-can't stop!" she choked. "But, D-Draco! Thank you!"

She pulled back a bit and kissed him firmly on the lips. He looked into her watery, soft, brown eyes and sighed contently. Everyday he fell more and more in love with her.

Suddenly, her smile shifted to a look of concern that he noticed immediately.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"Harry and Ron don't know that I-I-I'm pregnant!" she gasped.

Draco nodded. He knew that and had considered that. Apparently she hadn't.

"Hermione, you'd have to tell them sometime, you know that." he said softly. "Are you embarrassed to be carrying my child?"

He said the last phrase with his voice light and joking, but she took it very seriously. She swatted his arm lightly and glowered at him.

"Of course not! I love this little girl more than life itself already and I haven't even met her yet!" she said defensively, placing both of her hands on her stomach.

"I was joking. I know that." he sighed, leaning forward and kissing her temple.

Suddenly, Albus Dumbledore appeared in their living room. Draco had never been quite so happy to see him. Over the time that he'd been with Hermione, he'd grown fonder and fonder of the Headmaster.

"Why hello there, Miss. Granger, Mr. Malfoy." he said gently, his face twisted up in a sincere smile.

Draco grinned at him and looked down at Hermione who was still whimpering softly with tears.

"I've heard you're quite hormonal today, Miss. Granger." Dumbledore chuckled softly.

Hermione swatted Draco's arm again, this time with more force.

"Ow." he said quietly.

He watched as Dumbledore's twinkling eyes widened.

"Miss. Granger. You are seven months pregnant, am I right?"

"J-Just about, s-s-sir." she nodded.

"Excellent! You can still Apparate." he exclaimed, walking over to Draco and Hermione. "Come now, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are waiting."

Both Draco and Hermione placed their hands overtop of Dumbledore's and Disapparated immediately.  
** . . .**  
Hermione opened her eyes to find herself, Dumbledore and Draco standing safely in the Headmaster's Office.

She looked around to see Harry and Ron who were staring at her stomach with wide-eyed expressions of shock. She herself was surprised to see them looking a little battered and bruised.

"Her-Hermione..." Ron trailed off.

"Sh-shut it! Come hug me!" she demanded, waddling over to them.

They broke into a grin and embraced her as tight as they could. She let more tears escape at the thought of having her best friends near her again. She missed them desperately.

"Hermione... you're pregnant!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione nodded and smiled a watery-eyed grin. She felt Draco come up behind her and place his hand on the small of her back. She turned to look at him and he smiled encouragingly at her.

"Y-y-yes I am."

"You're crying." Ron observed. "Why?"

Hermione opened her mouth, about to yell, when Draco beat her to it with much quieter words.

"Don't. Just don't ask. Trust me." he warned.

Ron and Harry exchanged a confused look. Hermione suddenly remembered something, bringing a new flight of tears to her eyes.

"Draco! I've left the ice cream out! It's going to melt and get everywhere and-and-and you went all the way to the store to get it for me!" she gasped.

Draco's eyes widened and he took a deep breath.

"Relax, love. It's alright. I'll just... I'll go home and put it back." he decided.

"Yes, I'll accompany Mr. Malfoy and give you three a little time to catch up. We'll be back." Dumbledore announced.

Hermione watched as Draco reached out for Dumbledore's arm and Disapparating, leaving Hermione alone with her two best friends.

"So..." Ron started.

"Pregnancy hormones! I'm crying because of pregnancy hormones and I can't seem to-to-to stop!" she yelled.

Harry and Ron nodded in fright and realization.

"It's bloody brilliant to see you, Hermione." Harry said softly.

Hermione's sudden anger melted away. "I've missed you two a lot. How is the Horcrux search going?"

Harry and Ron launched into a tale about the Horcruxes they had found, and the two they had left to find. They were staying at random places about the country. Grimmauld Place, camping sites, empty forests. Dumbledore was the only one who could contact them, and that was how he'd managed to get them both to come in today.

"You are being careful, right?" Hermione asked.

"Of course." Harry nodded. "We wish you were with us, though."

Ron nodded quickly in agreement. "Seriously, Hermione."

Hermione smiled sadly and then winced in slight pain, as her daughter had decided to start kicking away again.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked frantically.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. She's just kicking away." Hermione explained. "Would you like to feel?"

They both took a hesitant step forward, placing a hand each on Hermione's stomach. They both seemed to grin with content as they felt the kicking of Hermione's baby.

"Wait, did you say..._ she_?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned happily. "It's a girl."

They murmured their congratulations and each hugged Hermione, holding her closely.

"How far along are you anyways?" Harry asked.

"About seven months."

"Wait, so that means..."

Hermione watched as a sense of realization appeared on Harry's face. She smiled at him, laughing slightly at the confusion that was on Ron's.

"Yes, Harry. That means exactly what you think."

"What! What means what?" Ron yelled.

"When Hermione came back here when she was ill, she found out she was pregnant." Harry explained.

The same realization appeared on Ron's face and Hermione smiled at him.

"I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that this was unplanned." Harry said.

Hermione sat down on the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk and nodded as Harry and Ron leaned against the desk.

"Oh yes. I was quite surprised. Took me a bit to get used to it, but now... I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to be a mother. It's terrifying, don't get me wrong. I'm bloody scared out of my mind. But, I can't imagine myself anymore without her." Hermione explained softly, her eyes falling to her stomach.

Harry and Ron were quiet, just taking in her words and staring at her.

"I miss you guys. I miss my life... here. I mean, it's alright where I'm living, but... I miss being here." she admitted.

"Hermione... where have you been? Where are you and Malfoy living?" Harry asked tentatively.

Hermione bit her lip. She wanted to tell them. She wanted desperately to tell them. But she knew she couldn't.

Well, she couldn't tell them where she lived. Or what her Muggle name was.

"I've been... I've been living somewhere else... as a Muggle. Me and Draco... we take Polyjuice Potion every time we go out. We're in real danger, especially now. Our baby is going to be... special. And we all know Death Eaters and Voldemort consider babies a large threat in the long run." she explained softly, letting her eyes fall on Harry in her last sentence.

Harry pressed his lips firmly together and nodded.

"That's... that must be so bizarre, Hermione." Ron sighed grimly.

Hermione nodded, wiping her once again watery eyes. "It is. It really is. I mean, I've got a job, I've got_ friends_. I have a whole new life there!"

"Do you like living there?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I do, I do. But I... I m-m-miss home so much!"

A new flood of tears escaped Hermione's eyes and she felt both Harry and Ron place their arms around her as she looked at the ground. She looked up at them and saw the concern upon their faces.

"We'll beat him, Hermione. We're going to end all of this." Harry said in a strange voice

Hermione looked at Harry and saw the determination in his eyes. She pulled herself out of the chair and gazed into her best friend's eyes.

"I know you will." she whispered.

She flung her arms around him and started sobbing once more. She couldn't believe the ridiculousness of her tears. She tried breathing deeply as she sobbed into Harry's neck.

"Hermione." she heard Draco's familiar voice say with a softness.

She pulled away from Harry and turned to find Draco and Dumbledore to have returned. She stepped to him and let him take her into his arms.  
** . . .**  
As he took Hermione into his arms, his eyes fell upon Potter and Weasley. They weren't looking at him with the usual look of disdain. They were looking at Hermione with concern and fear. It was likely that they had never seen her in this sort of state either. It was alarming. Draco rubbed slow circles on the small of her back, as her sobs finally slowed. He kissed the top of her head as she rested gently against his chest.

"I'm afraid that it is too risky to keep you here too much longer, Miss. Granger." Dumbledore said with a sad smile.

Hermione pulled away from him and Draco watched as she threw herself into Harry's arms once more. She pulled Ron to join them and they held her tightly. Draco watched on, almost envying their love. They loved each other fiercely. Fiercely as friends. It was an important kind of love. A love he wished he knew.

"We'll see each other again soon, Hermione, okay?" Harry announced.

Draco noticed his eyes had become misty and he felt sorry for Potter. For Weasley as well. He knew they were out there, trying to destory Voldemort, while Draco was living with the missing piece of their trio. He knew they must be struggling. Hermione had always been the brains of the Golden Trio, everyone knew that.

"I know, but - but -" she mumbled.

"It will be soon. We'll beat You-Know-Who, and we'll do it in time for you to bring your baby into the world." Ron vowed.

He heard Hermione laugh lightly.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Weasley in disbelief.

"Don't." Draco said, the word just falling out of his mouth.

Weasley looked at him, an eyebrow raised. Then, he nodded as the cloud of confusion lifted off of his face, revealing a sense of realization.

"Right. Hormones." he mumbled.

"Well, yes, I'm sure. But... we don't know how long it will take, Ron. I wish I could be there helping you two. I really wish that." Hermione said quietly.

"We know." Potter added.

They hugged one last time, lasting for long moments until they finally let go. The three of them looked teary as Hermione made her way back over to Draco.

"Malfoy... would we be able to have a quick word?" Potter asked, surprising the whole room.

Draco nodded slowly, thinking back to the other time that Potter had requested to speak to him. When they had ended it with a handshake and called one another by their first name.

"I'll escort Miss. Granger home and then I'll be back for you, Draco." Dumbledore said.

He looked down at Hermione, who was already gazing at him with widened eyes.

"I'll see you in a few minutes." he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and gently caressing her cheek.

Draco leaned down, pressing his lips softly against hers. After a long moment, he pulled away and then gently brushed his lips against her forehead.

"Okay." she whispered.

He watched as Hermione took Dumbledore's arm and they vanished. He turned back to Potter and gestured for him to start speaking.

"Malfoy..." Potter started.

"MALFOY, YOU GOT HERMIONE PREGNANT!" Ron suddenly exploded, his face matching his hair.

Draco was taken aback by his sudden outburst of rage, and it seemed like Potter had been, too.

"Yes." he said, in a tone much quieter than Ron's.

Potter suddenly raised his wand at Weasley. "Silencio." he muttered.

Draco laughed as Weasley opened his mouth to yell, but with no sound to come out.

"Sorry Ron. I just needed to get something out without you interrupting every half a second." Potter explained.

"What is it, Potter?" Draco asked, eager to return home to Hermione.

"Hermione is pregnant." Potter started with a huff.

"Yes."

"And are you going to be there for her when the baby comes?"

"Of course I am. It's my kid, Potter."

"Do you swear?"

Draco nodded. He had never meant anything more in his entire life. He would never leave his family. Never.

"I love her, Potter. And I love my kid." he explained.

He watched as Potter seemed to think this over for a few moments. He wished the conversation would be over. He wanted to get back to Hermione.

"How's she doing?" asked Harry.

Draco considered this for a moment. "She's... she's doing okay. She gets a little sad about not being home, and about her dad being sick, and about you two, but other than that, she's okay. We've made ourself a life and we're managing."

"I can't believe she's having a baby." sighed Harry.

Draco shook his head. "Most days, neither can I. I never planned to start a family this way."

Draco suddenly realized that he was on the verge of being very honest with Harry Potter, and it was a weird feeling. The hatred that Draco had always held in his heart seemed to no longer be there. Not anymore.

"Please just take good care of her."

Harry waved his wand at Ron, who's face was flushed with anger.

"Blimey, Harry! That was hardly necessary!" Ron yelled.

"Draco." started Harry, ignoring Ron. "I'm trusting you more than ever with her."

"I know." Draco nodded. "She's in good hands, Potter... Harry."

The two boys shook hands for the second time in their life. Draco looked at Ron who's face was screwed up in a bizarre expression. Reluctantly, they both stuck out their hands and shook them quickly.

"Good luck." the three of them said all at once.

**Author's Note:** hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I ended up posting a few days later than I wanted, but that's life. Please, please review! I'd love to know what everybody's : Someone reviewed (a guest) and asked me about me about Legilimency and their baby being able to read minds. What the difference is, she'll be able to do it effortlessly. She will be able to explore through one's mind, and also hear their current thoughts. hope that helps!  
Please read and review! Hopefully next chapter will be up in a week!


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing that you recognize.

** Chapter Twenty**  
Hermione was awoken by a soft kiss on her lips. She blinked open her eyes to find Draco lying very close to her, a small smile upon his face.

"Good morning." she mumbled, sleepily.

"Good morning."

She kissed him again and snuggled as close to him as her stomach would allow. He moved away for a second, leaning down to kiss her stomach. He then pulled her close to him again. Hermione suddenly had to get her thoughts out. She had been thinking of something ever since yesterday and she just simply had to ask.

"Draco, there's something I want to discuss with you." she said, sitting up.

He sat up along with her and nodded. "Okay, what is it?"

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I thought about it all night, and... well, I'd been thinking about it before, but ever since yesterday I just kept thinking about it, and I really hope you're okay with it, I mean, it's probably a lot to ask, but I really think that it's the best thing, though I do value your opinion, and - "

"Hermione!" he said, interrupting her. "What is it?"

She blushed, as she realized that she had been rambling. "Okay."

He nodded encouragingly at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'd like Harry to be our daughter's godfather."  
** . . .**  
Potter?

The godfather?

The godfather of his baby girl?

This was something he'd certainly never had expected when picturing his life. Then again, he'd never have pictured Hermione Granger being the mother of his baby and the love of his life.

He looked at Hermione's hopeful face and knew that he couldn't turn her down. Besides, was there really anyone better for the job? Draco didn't have any friends that he would even consider becoming godparents for his child.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" he said, while taking in this request.

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Yes, Harry Potter. I mean, I know that you two have never really gotten along, but, I think that he'd be the best godfather that our daughter could ever have."

Draco considered this. She was right. Of course she was right.

"Yeah... yeah. Okay. Harry is our daughter's godfather." he agreed with a small smile.

He watched as Hermione's face lit up instantly and she threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Draco! Thank you! I mean, we do have to ask him first, but I know he'll say yes! Thank you!" she squealed, kissing his cheeks.

Draco beamed at her bright with joy face. It only reassured him that this was the right thing to do.

"I do have a question though. Why Potter over Weasley?" he asked.

Hermione looked away from him, off into the distance. He waited patiently for her response.

"Well, I mean, I love Ron, really. He's a wonderful friend, but Harry... Harry is my best friend. I'm sure you know that." Hermione said with a sigh.

He knew that she was missing them already, even after their meeting yesterday. He couldn't blame her. After having his small discussion with Harry and Ron yesterday, he knew just how much they both cared for the girl; Harry especially.

"I do know." he whispered softly, kissing her temple. "I guess this means that Ginny will have to be the godmother."

He watched as Hermione's face lit up once again with joy. "Oh Draco!"

He kissed her enthusiastically, enjoying her obvious happiness. She was quiet for a minute, and Draco just studied her, taking in the profile of her radiant face. He realized that she most certainly had the pregnancy glow that everyone always talked about. He'd never seen it before, not until Hermione.

"We should really consider names, too." she said.

Draco nodded, thinking to the list that they had written. Draco hadn't thought that they should actually write it down, but Hermione being Hermione, the book worm, had said it was very important.

Draco grabbed his wand from his bedside table and mumbled a Summoning Charm, sending the list flying onto their bed. They had gotten rid of the boy names, as they were no longer applicable, but had yet to narrow down the girl names.

"Should we slim it down some more?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded, taking the list into her hands and studying it some more.  
** . . .**  
Hermione looked at the list, taking in each and every name that they had chosen.

_ Avery_  
_ Lucy_  
_ Aria_  
_ Alexis_  
_ Violet_  
_ Rhiannon_  
_ Georgia_  
_ Iris_  
_ Viola  
_  
They needed to narrow down the list by a lot. Hermione was reluctant to add Rhiannon to the list, but Draco had insisted as he had grown accustomed to it.

"Yes, I think so." she said, nodding. "Though, really, I don't think that we'll know until we lay our eyes on her."

Hermione placed the list down and rubbed a content hand on her stomach.

"You're right, love." he whispered.

Draco sat behind her and Hermione felt him pull her into his arms. She smiled contently, her eyes prickling with happy tears that she forced herself to blink away.

"Did you enjoy spending time with your friends yesterday?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. So much. I really miss them. I'm worried for them everyday." Hermione sighed, leaning herself against Draco.

The pair of them were quiet as they thought about Harry, Ron, each other and their daughter.

"Well, love. Let's just get cross off some names, okay?" Draco suggested.

Hermione looked at him and knew that he was trying to distract her, and for that she was grateful. They spent the next few hours, lying blissfully in bed, discussing baby names. Draco brought Hermione a herbal tea, and himself a coffee, and forgot all about the troubles in their world.  
** . . .**  
A month later and Hermione was sitting upon her couch with Sophie, drinking tea. She was watching Draco playing with Ella on the floor out of the corner of her eye.

"So, it's getting close, isn't it?" Sophie asked with a grin.

Hermione looked down at her belly and brushed a strand of "her" auburn hair out of the way.

"Yeah, yeah it is. I'm 8 months along and then it's just a month after that." Hermione said excitedly.

"Are you nervous?" Sophie asked.

Hermione bit her lip and looked over at Draco and Ella. Ella was sitting on his lap and Draco was reading her a story. Hermione smiled to herself and looked back at Sophie.

"Yeah, yeah I am. I mean, Thomas will be a brilliant father. Look at him with Ella. But me..."

"Rhi, you'll be a lovely mother. You'll be the best." Sophie insisted.

"I hope so."

"Sophie? Would you mind if I took Ella out to get some ice cream?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Of course not. Go right ahead." Sophie said.

Draco carried Ella over to her mother and she stretched her arms out for a hug.

"You be good for Thomas, okay Ella?" Sophie said.

Soon, the two were gone, leaving Hermione and Sophie alone together.

"Are you going to get married?" Sophie asked.

Hermione turned to look at her friend, her mouth open in surprise. She had been thinking about marriage a lot lately, especially since her due date was creeping up on her. She didn't think that her and Draco needed to be married to be a family, but there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to marry him.

"I... I don't know." Hermione sighed. "I'd... I think I'd like to, but we've never talked about it before."

"And why's that?"

"I dunno, he's just never brought it up before, and nor have I."

Sophie seemed to consider that. "I need to have a talk with our dear Thomas, it seems.

"No, Soph! You really don't need to, I mean -"

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. Hermione sighed. She hoisted herself up off the couch and waddled over to the door, cup of herbal tea in hand.

"Don't think that just because someone's at the door this conversation is over, because it's not." Sophie called out.

Hermione chuckled, opening the door.

Her jaw dropped and the cup of tea fell with a crash to the floor, shattering everywhere.

"Rhiannon? Who is it?" Sophie asked.

Hermione just stared at the person in front of her.  
** . . .**  
Draco and Ella were sitting on a bench near his apartment. He watched happily as Ella slurped her ice cream. He couldn't wait until he could do things with his own daughter. As Hermione's due date neared, Draco felt more and more nervous, yet ready at the same time. It was suddenly becoming more and more real.

"Thank you, Thomas!" Ella squealed.

Ella was three, and Draco was amazed at how grown up she was compared to when he had first met her. She hadn't even been two yet.

"You're welcome, Ella."

He was so excited to meet his own baby. He thought of what was still hidden in his top drawer.

A ring.

A beautiful, perfect engagement ring that he knew Hermione would love.

As he glanced over at Ella once more, he decided. He was going to propose to Hermione tonight. They could get married after their baby was born, but he just wanted to be engaged to her. To know that they were going to officially spend the rest of their lives together.

He couldn't imagine his life without her at all. There was no way he would survive without her. Hermione and their baby were the most important things in his world.

"Can I play wiff your baby?" Ella asked, looking up at him.

Draco grinned. "Of course. She's going to be very small, but I'm sure you'll be best friends."

"Fwiends!"

Draco smiled at her again and nodded. "Yes. Friends."  
** . . .**  
Hermione was frozen. She felt Sophie come up behind her and silently wished that she would go away. Sophie couldn't be here right now. She couldn't.

"Rhiannon, who's this? Who are you?" Sophie asked urgently.

Hermione stared at the woman in front of her, dressed in long, black Wizard's robes.

She knew this was bad. Fear was creeping over her. Her wand was tucked into her sock, covered by her yoga pants. She wished that she could bend over and get it. But, she couldn't do magic in front of Sophie.

Though, she might have to now.

The witch in front of her was holding her wand already, twirling it around in her fingers. She had a stern and searching look on her face.

"Hello, Hermione." she said calmly.

_How did she know? How does she know it's me? How did she know I'd be here?_ Hermione thought, her breathing rate increasing.

"Hermione?" Sophie repeated in confusion.

The woman peered around Hermione and stared at Sophie, her nose crinkling up as she realized she was a Muggle.

"I'd like to see my son." said Narcissa Malfoy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing, sadly.

**Author's Note:** It's been forever, I'm sorry! I'll explain at the end! Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty-One**  
Hermione couldn't breathe. She felt light headed.

What was Narcissa Malfoy doing here?

How had she found them?

How did she know that she was Hermione?

"Hermione? Who the hell is Hermione? Who are you?" Sophie asked.

Hermione wanted to tell her to be quiet, but she couldn't seem to find her voice just yet.

"Miss. Granger, I'd like to see my son." she said, her voice becoming more forceful.

Should Hermione play dumb and pretend she didn't know who Hermione was? Would that work?

"Rhiannon, what's going on?" Sophie asked.

"My name is Rhiannon, not Hermione." Hermione lied, her voice coming out in a strangled tone.

"There isn't any point in lying to me." Narcissa sighed, walking into Hermione's flat, moving past Hermione and Sophie.

She peered around, scoffing at the simple, Muggle surroundings. She pointed her wand at the shattered and forgotten teacup on the ground, and it instantly repaired itself and flew back up into Hermione's hands.

"What the fuck?" Sophie whispered.

Hermione closed her eyes in frustration. There was no point in trying to pretend. Sophie had just witnessed magic, and there was no way to get around that.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione said.

"I told you. I'm here to see my son."

Hermione tried to bend down awkwardly to retrieve her wand from her sock, but it was no use. Her pregnant belly was too big. She called it out in her mind and it zoomed into her hand. She cast the teacup away from her, sending it over to the coffee table.

"Wh-wh-wh-what?" Sophie stuttered.

"Soph, I'll explain in a moment, I promise." Hermione whispered.

Hermione took a few shaky steps over to Narcissa Malfoy, her wand pointing out. Narcissa, however, was lazily twisting her wand between her fingers.

"Hermione, please. No need to be defensive, I just want to see my son. Where is he?"

"No need to be defensive? Please." Hermione scoffed. "Your sister attacked me. For no bloody good reason. You ignored Draco for a whole year! You're a Death Eater!"

Narcissa suddenly had a bemused expression on her face, her lips upturned in an obscure smile.

"Yes, yes. Bella is a bit temperamental, and I can't tell you she means well. She was just trying to protect Draco in her own way. Keep you away from him."

"_Protect him?_ Then why didn't she kill me?"

"I'm not my sister, Hermione. I am not my sister."

"_Rhiannon!_" Sophie suddenly yelled.

Hermione turned to face her. Her face was white, and she looked beyond confused.

"Sophie, I'm sorry. Just, I promise that I'll explain in a minute!" Hermione pleaded.

"Rhiannon, you just made a teacup bloody fly across the room after this woman repaired it! What is going on?"

"Please, girl. Like she just said, she'll explain in a minute. We have more important things to discuss than explain something to a Muggle." Narcissa sighed.

Hermione shook her head, still holding out her wand. This was too much. Too much to handle. She wanted Draco to come back.

"You are far more pregnant than I realized, Hermione."

Hermione was silent, not knowing what to do. She wanted Draco to come back.

_ Draco, Draco, Draco, come home._

"I'll say it again. I need to see my son."

Hermione shook her head. "No. You need to leave."

Hermione held her wand up further and placed a protective hand on her stomach. She needed to be strong. She needed to be strong for her little girl.

"I'm not here to harm you. I'd just like to talk. I... I know things." Narcissa said calmly.

"RHIANNON! WHAT IS GOING ON?" Sophie screamed.

I turned to look at Sophie as Narcissa chuckled slightly, a strange sound coming from her mouth.

"I know you want to see Draco, but... why? Why now?" Hermione asked, her wand shaking in her hand.

"He's my son. Look, if I found you here, then it's only a matter of time before the Dark Lord does."

"_How_ did you find us here?" Hermione whispered.

"It was difficult. Dumbledore has you two well protected, for good reason, I might add. I had a trace put on the communication book that I have with Draco, and it tells me where the message is sent from. I wasn't giving me a proper reading. There was some sort of protection charm placed upon it, and it took me ages to break through. But, then... when I did, it told me you were in this apartment building. I didn't know where, but I sensed magic coming from here."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe that they had been found.

"I've followed you both around for the last few days. I've been using a Disillusionment Charm. I noticed a few of Draco's mannerisms on the boy you all call Thomas. I knew it had to be him, and by power of elimination, you had to be Hermione."

Hermione closed her eyes and took it all in. She kept her wand raised at Narcissa.

"Are you here to harm us?" Hermione whispered, opening her eyes.

Narcissa shook her head instantly. "No. I'm here to help you."  
** . . .**  
"Come on, Ella." Draco said, pulling the toddler along with him.

They had finished their ice cream, and now were walking briskly back to their apartment. Draco needed to take more Polyjuice Potion soon, or else he'd change back. He'd completely blanked on it, having such fun with Ella as they had been out. He'd been distracted.

"I coming!" she squealed, running along beside him.

Draco laughed down at the little girl and scooped her up into his arms just to hurry their walk along.

As they reached the building, he set Ella down. She ran to the elevator, jumping up and pressing the button as he knew she liked to do. As they took the ride up to their floor, Draco felt that something was wrong.

He didn't know how or why, but he suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He grabbed Ella's little hand protectively and lifted her up once again as they walked out onto their floor. He pushed the door of his flat open and almost fell over at the sight before him.

His mother.

His mother was there, twirling her wand in her pale hands.

Hermione was slowly changing into herself, 'her' auburn hair was changing to it's real brown colour, and she was sprouting upwards a few centimeters. Sophie was standing in the corner of the room, a terrified and pale expression on her face. Hermione had her wand outstretched, pointed at his Mother.

"Mama!" Ella squealed.

Hermione turned around and looked at Draco with terrified eyes.

Brown eyes.

Her eyes.

Draco knew it was only a matter of moments before he changed back into himself as well.

It was all over.

"Hello, Draco, dear." his mother said, smiling coldly at him.

Draco walked over to a quivering Sophie who looked at him with the widest eyes he had ever seen. He placed Ella into her arms. Sweet Ella, who was oblivious to everything happening around her.

"Th-Th-Thomas, what's happening?" Sophie whimpered.

"We'll explain, I promise." he vowed.

He turned and walked to Hermione who still had her wand pointed at his mother.

"Help us? Help us how?" Hermione asked, her voice shaky.

"I'm on the inside. I know what the Dark Lord is planning. I want to help you." Mother said.

"M-Mother." he stammered.

He looked down at his skin for a moment, and saw that it was returning to it's normal paleness. He was changing back.

"Draco. As I've told Hermione, I'm here to help you." she said with a slight smile.

"But why?" Hermione demanded.

"That's my grandchild in there. I wouldn't let anything harm... him or her?" Mother asked, trailing off and asking a question.

"Her." Draco and Hermione answered in unison.

"Her. I wouldn't let anything harm my granddaughter. I knew of the prophecy long ago. Long before you had met. That's why Bella came to you this summer, Hermione. She wanted to scare you. Scare you out of ever associating with Draco. Scare you out of ever creating this child, this girl, who will become so so gifted."

It all made sense now. That was why Bellatrix had hurt Hermione. She didn't kill her because it would have been too suspicious. The Dark Lord obviously wanted Draco's daughter for his own personal gain.

"I swear. I swear I mean you no harm. Draco... you're my son." Mother whispered.

Draco was torn. He didn't know what to do.  
** . . .**  
Hermione didn't know why, but she wanted to believe Narcissa Malfoy. She seemed truthful. Ever since Hermione had gotten pregnant, she couldn't understand how anyone could harm their child. Why would Narcissa be an exception and want to harm Draco?

She slowly lowered her wand, much to Narcissa's obvious delight. She looked at Draco, who now looked like Draco again. She had felt the changes come over her as well, and she knew that she must look like herself again.

"Why should we believe anything you're saying? You didn't contact me for a year, Mother. An entire year. I shouldn't believe a word you're saying." Draco snarled.

"Your Father wouldn't let me. He... well, you know how he is. Hungry for power and eager to be at the Dark Lord's side. He's trying to do anything to get the Dark Lord's forgiveness for the Ministry fiasco with the Prophecy of the Potter boy. He found my communication book with you and hid it from me."

"Why wouldn't he just destroy it?" Hermione asked.

"Because..." Narcissa started, looking from Hermione to Draco. "Because in his own twisted way, Draco, he cares for you. He loves you. He's your father."

"Some father he is." Draco spat.

"Please... just trust me, Draco. Please." Narcissa said, practically begging.

Draco, looking extremely wary, eventually nodded slowly. Hermione didn't expect them to have a huge embrace, and she was right as Narcissa only nodded back.

"Thank you, Draco." Narcissa whispered. "Now, we have lots to discuss. But... I think we should speak to the poor Muggle in the corner over there."

Hermione had momentarily forgotten about Sophie and Ella. She whirled around to them. Sophie was quivering and Ella had a very troubled and concerned expression upon her face.

"Sophie..." Hermione said cautiously, approaching her friend slowly.

Sophie shook her head, looking terrified. "I'm going insane, right? I'm going 'round the twist. None of this is really real. I'm just sleep deprived."

Hermione shook her head and attempted a sad smile at the girl in front of her. "No, Soph. This is really happening."

"Who... who are you?" Sophie stammered.

"My name is Hermione Granger. I'm 18 years old. I'm a witch." she explained slowly.

Sophie laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I'm losing my mind. One minute, my friend Rhiannon McCarthy was standing there, talking to this crazy woman, and then... it looked as though you morphed into her... but... that's impossible. Where's Rhiannon?"

"I'm Rhiannon McCarthy. I took a Potion to become someone else. Someone you know as Rhiannon. But, this is me. This is the real me. And... and Thomas?" Hermione explained, gesturing at her boyfriend. "Thomas' real name is Draco Malfoy. He's 18, like me, and he's a wizard."

Sophie shook her head rapidly. "No, no, no, no. This is a dream. I'm just dreaming."

Hermione looked at Draco who was staring at Sophie and Ella with concern. Ella was wriggling in Sophie's arms to be put down, but Sophie held on tightly. Draco moved next to Hermione and she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. She could only imagine what he must be feeling with his Mother being here right now.

"Thomas? Why are you diffwent?" Ella asked.

"Because, this is really me. I was in a disguise before, Ella. My name is Draco." he explained slowly.

"Draco." she repeated. "Why are you not Thomas?"

"I am Thomas. I just look different. Do you believe me?"

Hermione watched as Draco's face looked desperate. He really loved this little girl, and Hermione knew that he would be a brilliant father to his own.

Ella was quiet, seeming to be thinking as Sophie stood quivering, holding on to Ella for dear life. Finally, Ella nodded.

"Okay!" Ella squealed, a smile radiating off of her face.

"I need to go." Sophie said, her voice far away.

"No! Please, Sophie. Please believe me. Just understand. There's... there's a whole world full of people like me." Hermione started.

Narcissa cleared her throat loudly and Hermione turned around and sighed, staring at the witch with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"As lovely as trying to explain us to a Muggle is, I believe we have some very important things to discuss, such as the safety of your baby." Narcissa said, her voice cold.

"I've got to get out of here!" Sophie yelled, holding Ella and moving for the door.

"Please, Sophie! Just..." Hermione said, as Sophie ran out the door with her daughter.

Hermione felt her heart break a little for her friend, but then remembered that she had to deal with the arrival of Narcissa. She could deal with her friend later.

"Mother... I don't know how to trust you." Draco suddenly said.

Hermione turned back to face them, watching as Draco's face broke into an expression full of pain.

"I know, Draco. But, I promise that I'll win your trust. Please, just allow me to help you. We need a plan. No one will harm my son, my granddaughter or... or her mother." Narcissa said.

And suddenly, Hermione felt as though she had to trust Narcissa. Not completely, of course, but at least enough until Draco could. Hermione turned to Draco, looking into his eyes and touching his cheek gently.

"Love, we've really got no other option, do we?" Hermione whispered.

Draco gazed down at her and all Hermione could see was love.

"Okay." he said softly, leaning closer to kiss her forehead.

As Draco placed a hand on the small of her back, Hermione turned around to face Narcissa.

"Okay, Mother. I'll try to trust you." Draco sighed.

Narcissa smiled a cool smile and nodded. "Excellent. Now, let's get to talking, shall we?"

**Author's Note:** I think it's been a while since I've posted and I'm really sorry about that! I've been really busy and haven't been able to find the time to finish up this chapter, as much as that saddens me :( Thank you for the reviews and PLEASE review this if you can! they always mean the world to me! I hope you enjoy! xx


	22. Chapter 22

******Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Everything belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"I don't like this, Draco. I just don't like this one bit." Hermione huffed from the privacy of her and Draco's room.

She watched as Draco audibly sighed. His mother had been popping in and out for a week now, and it was driving Hermione _nuts_. Hermione was super pregnant and uncomfortable and hormonal, and Narcissa was driving her _crazy_.

"I know, I know. But I can't exactly tell her to just stop coming." Draco groaned.

"I know! But the way she keeps popping in like that... it just seems so _risky!_" Hermione explained, throwing her hands up in the air.

She tried to hoist herself up off of the bed, but failed with a slight whimper. Draco turned from his dresser with a smirk on his face.

"Need some help, love?" Draco asked, a grin creeping onto his lips.

"No." Hermione huffed.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes." she whimpered, holding out her hands for Draco to help her.

He pulled her to her feet and kissed her forehead, followed by planting a kiss on her stomach.

"Should we try Sophie again today?" Draco asked with a sigh.

Draco and Hermione had been trying to speak to Sophie ever since she discovered the truth last week, but had had no luck. She refused to speak with them. She refused to see them. Hermione missed her - and Ella - desperately.

"I guess so." Hermione said quietly.

Draco took her hand and led her out into the kitchen, where a cup of her favourite herbal tea was waiting for her. Hermione smiled up at him and smiled, as he just knew her so well. Hermione sat down at the kitchen table and took a sip of her hot tea, grinning as she did so.

She felt the sudden tingle of magic, and knew that Narcissa was apparating into the room. Hermione groaned loudly as she heard the witch appear behind her.

"Mother." Draco sighed.

"Good day to you, too, Draco." Narcissa huffed, taking a seat near Hermione.

"Hello, Narcissa." Hermione said politely.

Narcissa smiled cooly at her. The two were still rather wary of one another, as to be expected.

"Hi, Hermione. How's my granddaughter today?" she asked, her eyes traveling to Hermione's ever expanding stomach.

"Oh, she's good. Kicking away." Hermione explained happily, rubbing a hand on her stomach.

Hermione was becoming more nervous by the day at becoming a mother. It was a dangerous world to bring a child into, and Hermione just hoped that she could keep her little girl safe. Safe from all those who wanted to bring harm to her.

"Mother, can I speak with you for a minute?" Draco said suddenly.

**. . .**

Draco needed to get his mother out of there. He had plans for today. _Big_ plans. The new security wards that his Mother had set up had increased the strength of Dumbledore's already, and Draco was sure that they could be safe for one more day without his mother being there. He was sick of her constant presence, especially when he wasn't entirely sure if he was ready to let her back into his life.

He especially wasn't sure if he was ready to let her into his daughter's life.

Draco had _big_ plans for today.

He guided his Mother into their potion brewing room and cast a quick _Muffliato_ charm, to make sure Hermione wouldn't overhear them.

"Mother..." Draco began slowly. "I need to do things with Hermione today. So I'm going to have to ask you if you don't stay long."

Narcissa looked unfazed by Draco's request and simply nodded.

"What are your plans, may I ask?"

Draco shook his head. "I can't tell you yet. I will, if everything goes according to plan, but... not yet, Mother. Not yet. Drop by tomorrow, okay?"

Narcissa smiled, as if she knew. And maybe she did. She was his Mother after all, and Mother's had a tendency to always know.

"Of course. Goodbye, dear." Narcissa said, pecking his cheek and Disapparating in front of him.

As Draco left the room, he was surprised, yet pleased, by how quickly and easy he had gotten rid of Narcissa.

"Where's your Mother?" Hermione asked, her cup of tea in hands.

Draco just smiled at her, as he walked to her. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. He ran his hand across the back of her neck, letting it travel through her brown hair.

"She left." he said happily, sitting at a chair by her side.

He watched as Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"She _left?_ How'd you manage that?" Hermione demanded.

"I asked her to leave." Draco explained simply.

"You _asked_ her? Are you sure she isn't hiding in the Potions room, love?" Hermione asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, I'm sure."

Draco reached forward and brushed a strand of Hermione's hair behind her ear, smiling at her beauty.

"You're being funny. What's going on?" Hermione observed thoughtfully, a smile hidden in her voice.

"Nothing, nothing." Draco lied.

Today was the day he was going to ask Hermione to be his wife.

He couldn't wait anymore.

He didn't want to wait anymore.

Today was the day.

**. . .**

Hermione watched as Draco gazed at her, his hand gently grazing her cheek. She took a slow sip of her tea and placed it back upon the table. The way Draco was looking at her made her feel like blushing.

"What's gotten into you?" Hermione laughed.

Draco stood up and leaned towards her, planting a kiss on her lips before walking into the living room, leaving Hermione to herself.

"Right, well... I'll just wait here and be pregnant!" she called out, inducing a laugh to come bubbling out from Draco's mouth.

Hermione shook her head at her boyfriend. She often couldn't believe that this was her life. Who would have thought that at the age of eighteen, she would be in hiding as a Muggle, pregnant with Draco Malfoy's child, who just so happened to be the love of the life?

She thought of Narcissa, and the risks she was taking visiting them everyday. She had noticed over the last week that Narcissa did love Draco in her own twisted way, even if it was difficult to see. She thought of Dumbledore, and how she hadn't heard anything from him since they'd told him about Narcissa's new presence in their lives. Not hearing anything from Dumbledore was immediate cause for concern, as he always responded to them quickly.

Hermione worried that something drastic had happened in the Wizarding World. Something that Narcissa didn't know about, or was keeping from them. She worried for Harry and Ron's safety every single day, now more than ever.

Hermione, with the aid of the table and arms on the chair, hoisted herself up and waddled over to the living room, to find that Draco was not there. She shook her head and sighed, sitting down on the couch. She pulled out her wand and cast a summoning charm, bringing a book that she had been reading flying over to her.

A few pages in, and Draco appeared next to her with a happy smile upon his face.

"Honestly, Draco. What's gotten into you?" Hermione asked once more with a laugh.

"Oh, nothing, Granger. Nothing at all." he said, bemused.

**. . .**

Draco had thought a lot about the moment he was going to propose to Hermione. He had thought about how he could make it extra special. He thought about how he should ask her. He thought about whether or not he should have a romantic setting.

But one look at Hermione sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her herbal tea, and he knew.

He knew that the best way to ask Hermione was just to simply _ask._

If his time with Hermione had taught him anything, it was that life was short and could change in a heartbeat. As here he was, sitting in a flat with a pregnant Hermione Granger, in Muggle London. He didn't want to waste anymore time. Not when they could be found at any moment of any day.

"Hermione, love, can I talk to you about something?" he said slowly.

She placed her book down next to her and looked at him with wide and ready eyes.

"Of course." she said with a slight smile. "What is it?"

Draco took a deep breath and grabbed one of Hermione's hands in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly.

"Hermione..." he started, taking a deep breath.

She just blinked her brown eyes at him as he slid closer to her. He smiled, as he had nothing prepared to say. He had thought about many things that he could have said, but sitting on this couch, staring into her eyes, and it all left his mind.

But he wasn't worried, as he knew that with Hermione he could speak from his heart without a problem.

"Hermione Granger, you have changed my life. When I first met you, I had absolutely _no_ idea that you would be the best thing that ever happened to me. When I heard you screaming that first night... I think I knew that I needed to protect you. I wanted to protect you from all the harm and hurt in the world."

Hermione raised an eyebrow as a slight pink tinge appeared on her cheeks.

"Draco, what are you...?" she started, losing her words.

Draco held a finger to her lips momentarily, pulling it away and smiling at her once more.

"When we first kissed, I knew that we were meant to be. I didn't believe in love until you made me fall in it. I am so in love with you, Hermione. And our baby girl. I know that our baby girl will be the best thing in our life, and I don't care if we're young. Our baby girl is going to have the best life ever with a Mum like you. Being with you, Hermione, is like breathing. It's like breathing in fresh air when everything around you is smoke. The time we've been together have made me a better person. I wouldn't have survived out in the Muggle world without you, and even though it's difficult being here sometimes... there's no one that I'd rather be here with than you."

Draco paused, dropping Hermione's hand and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the tiny velvet box, popping it open to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

**. . .**

Hermione gasped loudly, her hands covering her mouth as she took in the sight of the engagement ring in Draco's hands. Her heart was pounding quicker than ever and she looked at Draco who had a nervous smile upon his face.

"Hermione, we've been through the ringer so far, and I don't know if things are going to get any easier any time soon. I know we're young, but I love you and our daughter more than anything in this whole world. I'm so in love you with, Hermione Jean Granger. Will you marry me?"

As Draco concluded his speech, Hermione's eyes went back to the ring. It was unlike any engagement ring that she had ever seen, not that she had seen many. Her mother's was plain, yet beautiful. The one in front of her was simple, yet astounding. The diamond in the center sparkled in the light, as well as the few diamonds trailing down the side of the silver band.

She looked up at Draco who was waiting for her answer. She wanted to open her mouth to speak, to say yes, but she was speechless.

She let out a squeaking sound as she dropped her hands from her mouth. Draco chuckled at her and inched the velvet box closer.

"Hermione?" Draco said softly.

She looked up at him, the love of her life, and grinned.

"Yes. Yes! Yes, Draco, yes!" she said happily.

Draco beamed, taking the ring and sliding it onto her finger, where it fit perfectly. He cast the box aside and pulled Hermione's lips to his. She kissed him enthusiastically, her eyes filling with happy tears. He pulled Hermione into a hug, a hug as close as they could get with Hermione's stomach between them.

"I love you, Draco." she whispered into his ear as she held him tight.

"I love you." he whispered back.

Hermione could hear the joyful tears in his voice and she never wanted to let him go. She was never letting Draco Malfoy out of her life.

There came a sudden noise, and they turned to look at the door. Suddenly appearing just inside their flat was Professor Dumbledore. Draco loosened his grip around Hermione, but kept his arms around her.

"Professor." Hermione said, her voice surprised.

Professor Dumbledore smiled briefly at the pair before approaching them. Hermione knew by his eyes that something was instantly wrong.

"What's happened?" Draco asked, noticing the same as Hermione had.

Hermione felt a deep pain low in her belly. She let out a barely audible gasp, one that went unnoticed by Draco and the Headmaster. She took a deep breath, waiting for the pain to subside.

"I'm very sorry for my lack of response in the past week, and for just dropping by unannounced." Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"We've been worried. Has something happened?" Draco asked.

The pain finally subsided and Hermione looked around at the two, wondering what Professor Dumbledore was doing here, and hoping that the pain in her was not what she thought it was.

She could not be in labour.

Not now.

It was a few weeks early, and Professor Dumbledore obviously had something important to share with them.

"As you know, Harry and Ron have been deep in the search for Horcruxes." Dumbledore started, moving closer to them and sitting in a vacant armchair.

Hermione nodded, as she wasn't sure if she could speak, the worry of her friends and her possible labour overtaking her mind.

"Well, they've destroyed all of them, but one. Nagini, Voldemort's snake. And it is my belief that Voldemort has now become aware. He is angry, he is vulnerable and he is on the hunt for death. It is all going to be over, very soon." Dumbledore explained.

Hermione was struck by another pain, making her gasp involuntarily. This pain was intense, just as the other one. It again went unnoticed, as she was sure that both Draco and Dumbledore thought she was gasping due to what had just been said.

"In a matter of days, I'm sure. We've gotten word that Voldemort is planning on entering the Ministry himself tonight, and the Order is going to be there waiting." Dumbledore explained.

"Oh God." Hermione whispered, as she clutched a hand to her stomach.

"Now, I know this is scary, Miss. Granger. But you must know that Harry and Ron will both be well protected, as the Order and Dumbledore's Army will be there to help. I will be there as well." Dumbledore said encouragingly.

Hermione shook her head. As she opened her mouth, she felt a sudden rush of liquid between her legs. She looked down, seeing the dampness on her cotton dress. She shook her head once more.

"No, no, no." she moaned.

This couldn't happen. Not now. Not when the War was about to finally begin and end. Not today.

"What? What is it?" Draco asked urgently.

"I... I think I'm in labour." Hermione squeaked out.

She watched as Dumbledore's normally calm exterior suddenly appeared slightly panicked. She turned to look at Draco, who's eyes looked right about to fall out of his head. He had paled dramatically, just staring at her.

"I realize this is a very inconvenient time for this, but I can't help it." Hermione said, trying to remain calm.

Then the pain came once more, and she yelled loudly, doubling over. This seemed to snap Dumbledore and Draco back to reality.

"Okay, Miss. Granger. I'm afraid that it is too risky to take you to St. Mungo's, so we're going to have to take you to the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, okay?" Dumbledore said, standing up.

"Is Madam Pomfrey qualified to...?" Draco asked, not even bothering to hide the anxiety dripping in his voice.

**. . .**

Draco couldn't believe it.

Minutes ago, he had been asking Hermione to marry him, and now...

Now he knew that the War was happening tonight, and Hermione was about to have his baby.

"Yes, she is indeed." Dumbledore answered, his voice calm.

He gripped Hermione's hand tightly, helping her to her feet as she clutched her stomach in pain.

"Just breathe, love. Okay? Just breathe." Draco whispered.

There came a sudden knock at the door, followed by it's quick opening.

"Okay, I'm coming in. I realize that I've been avoiding you _all_ week, but -" Sophie's voice said as she emerged into the apartment.

She stopped short at the sight of Dumbledore, and Hermione slightly doubled over in pain.

"I'm crazy." was all she whispered.

"Well, you must be Sophie, am I right?" Dumbledore said.

They had explained the entire Sophie and Ella situation to Dumbledore in the communication book, but he had never replied.

"Y-y-yes." she whispered, taking in Dumbledore's strange appearance of turquoise coloured robes.

"Well, I'm afraid explanations and further introductions have to come later as Miss. Granger has just gone into labour." Dumbledore said politely.

Sophie approached them, placing a tentative hand on Hermione's arm.

"Rhi? You're in labour? This is really you?" Sophie asked, looking at Hermione's appearance.

"Yes." Hermione said slowly.

"Holy shit."

"Look, this is all really great, but can we get her to the Hospital Wing?" Draco suddenly yelled, loudly.

He loved Sophie, but he truly didn't care for her in the moment. All he cared about was the safety of Hermione and their daughter.

"I'm coming with you." Sophie announced.

"Very well." Dumbledore said, pulling out his wand.

Draco widened his eyes at the man. How could they bring her to Hogwarts? She was a Muggle!

Then he remembered. There was a spell to allow Muggles to see Hogwarts. It was the one they used on Muggles at graduation for those whose parents were Muggle-borns.

"Sophie, I'm going to cast a spell on you. You won't be able to see the place we're headed otherwise. Okay?" Dumbledore said, holding his wand out to Sophie.

A shimmering glow appeared around her as her eyes widened. Hermione let out another yell of pain and Draco wrapped his arm around her, wishing the old man would hurry up.

"Sophie, I'm afraid this won't be very pleasant for you. I hope you have a strong stomach." Dumbledore explained, extending his arm for Sophie.

Moments later, after Dumbledore and Sophie and Disapparated, Dumbledore reappeared alone for Draco and Hermione.

"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked.

Draco and Hermione grabbed the Headmaster's extended arm for him to take them to Hogwarts. Before Disapparating, he took a deep breath.

He was about to become a father.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry it's been so long! I promise that I'm not giving up on this story! Thanks to all of you who review. They mean the world to me. Please keep reading and reviewing! xx


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing except for my ideas.

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Hermione screamed in pain once they were safe inside the Headmaster's Office. It was pain unlike she'd ever experienced, and her contractions were coming fast.

"Breathe, Hermione. Just breathe." she heard Draco say, his voice full of anxiety.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, realizing that she was gripping tight onto his hand. She suddenly spotted Sophie standing a few feet away, looking almost green. Hermione then remembered that Sophie had just experienced Apparition.

"S-Soph, are you alright?" Hermione asked, taking in a shaky breath.

"I..." Sophie started, shaking her head. "I don't really understand anything. But somehow, I know that you're my friend Rhiannon, and you're in labour and I am here to help."

"Th-thanks, Soph. I -" Hermione started.

She couldn't finish her sentence as she was hit with another contraction. She yelled out, gripping Draco's hand tight enough to break it.

He yelped out in surprise and Hermione glared at him with venom in her eyes.

"Sorry." he said quickly. "Just breathe, Hermione. Just breathe."

Hermione shook her head, stepping closer to Draco and feeling grateful when he placed his free hand on the small of her back, rubbing it slowly.

"Just get me to the -" Hermione started, through gritted teeth as another contraction hit her. "- the _bloody hospital wing!"_

Before Hermione knew it, the whole lot of them were rushing towards the Hospital wing, Hermione's hands gripped both Draco's and Sophie's as Dumbledore led them.

Hermione felt Sophie trembling beside her at the sight of the castle. Hermione didn't even have the capability to explain their surroundings, or take them in. All she could focus on was not screaming bloody murder as the pain continued to swamp her.

**. . .**

Draco held his girlfriend's - his _fiancée's_ - hand as she went through contraction after contraction.

When they had arrived at Hogwarts hours and _hours_ ago, it had seemed like Hermione was ready to push the baby out any second, but apparently that hadn't been the case. Once they'd gotten to the hospital wing, Dumbledore had been content to find it empty. He'd summoned Madam Pomfrey immediately, and she had checked out Hermione, explaining that there were no magical ways to rush through giving birth.

"_DRACO, I NEED THOSE PAIN POTIONS!"_ Hermione yelled.

Draco sighed and controlled his facial expressions as Hermione's hand brutally crushed his own.

"Love, you declined those when we got here when Madam Pomfrey offered them to you, remember?" Draco explained, trying to keep his voice level.

He was beyond terrified that Hermione was giving birth to his daughter right now. Especially during the middle of a War. Dumbledore had left after only half an hour of arriving at Hogwarts. He'd headed to the Ministry, saying he would report back when he could.

Since he'd been gone so many hours, Draco felt as though the Ministry had most definitely been attacked. He didn't even know how long they'd been at Hogwarts for.

"_I KNOW THAT! BUT I NEED THEM RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" _Hermione wailed.

Draco looked across the bed at Sophie, who had been holding Hermione's other hand tightly, barely saying a word. He didn't blame her. All of this had to be a lot to take in, as she was looking rather pale.

"Okay. When she comes back, we'll ask her." Draco said.

Hermione turned to look at him, her face pale and sticky with sweat. He noticed visible tear stains on her cheeks, and he wished that he could take away her pain.

"Hermione, just remember why you're doing this. For our little girl." Draco whispered.

Hermione nodded, her breaths deep and uneven.

"Now, how are we doing Miss. Granger?" Madam Pomfrey asked, reappearing in the room.

Hermione let out a scream and Madam Pomfrey only nodded.

"As expected, I see. Now, let's see how far along you are." Madam Pomfrey said, approaching Hermione.

"M-M-Madam, I need the p-p-potions." Hermione stammered, surprising Draco with the quietness of her tone.

Madam Pomfrey looked up at Hermione with a sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. But, you're too far along for pain potions now." the witch explained.

Draco winced as Hermione crushed his hand again, shouting loudly. He brought her hand to his lips.

"Just keep breathing, Hermione." Draco whispered.

"Yeah, you can do this." Sophie said quietly.

"I-I-I-I can't. I-" Hermione stammered.

"Well, Miss. Granger, it looks as though it is time." Madam Pomfrey announced.

"I don't kn-know if I can d-d-do this!" Hermione wailed.

Draco's heart stopped momentarily at Madam Pomfrey's words. It was time. He was about to become a father. He looked at Hermione, who looked terrified. He hopped up on the bed, sitting behind her with Hermione between his legs. He looked at Sophie to drop her hand.

She already had. Sophie now had a smile on her face, and was standing closer to Madam Pomfrey.

"Rhi, er - Hermione, you've _got_ this. Your beautiful daughter is about to be born. You _can_ do this." Sophie said, her voice now much louder and steady.

Draco smiled at Sophie as they made momentary eye contact. He gripped both of Hermione's hands and placed a kiss on her temple.

"Hermione, you can do this. We can do this." Draco whispered into her ear.

"I can't Dr-Dr-Draco!" Hermione wailed.

"Hermione! Listen to me, you _can_ do this. You are doing this for our little girl, okay? Just think about her. Our baby." Draco encouraged softly.

"Our b-b-baby." Hermione repeated.

"That's right, love. Our baby. You can do this."

Hermione nodded, all the while breathing harder and harder.

"Miss. Granger, you're going to need to push on the next contraction, okay?" Madam Pomfrey said.

Hermione's breathing increased, and Draco knew that she was about to push.

"Come on, love. You've got this. Just, push!" Draco yelled as Hermione gripped his hands, screaming in pain as she pushed.

**. . .**

"Congratulations, Hermione. It's a girl."

Hermione cried in relief and joy as Madam Pomfrey placed her baby girl into her arms. Suddenly, Hermione was weeping at the sight of her beautiful daughter. She felt Draco move out from behind her, reappearing at her side.

"You did it. You did _so_ good, Hermione." Draco whispered, kissing Hermione's cheek.

"She's so beautiful." Hermione cried, unable to believe it.

She tore her eyes away from her gurgling and stunning baby girl to look at Draco. His eyes were misty, tears leaking down his cheeks. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Hermione's lips.

"Sh-she's here." Draco whispered, staring down in awe at their daughter.

Hermione grinned, looking back down. Suddenly, their baby opened her eyes, revealing deep brown, chocolate eyes. Much like the ones that Hermione often saw in the mirror.

"Hey." Draco whispered. "Your eyes."

"Your hair." Hermione mused in regards to the sprinkling of blonde hair that was atop their baby's head.

"Do you have a name?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Hermione looked up, having almost forgotten the presence of Madam Pomfrey and Sophie. Hermione looked back at Draco who smiled, nodding.

The two had agreed on a name a few days ago, for which Hermione was glad, since her baby girl had decided to make an early entrance in their world.

"Violet Rhiannon Malfoy." Hermione whispered, staring back down at her daughter.

"Rhiannon." Sophie echoed.

Hermione looked up at Sophie, fully acknowledging for the first time that her best _Muggle_ friend was here. In Hogwarts.

"Soph, are you alright? I mean, I know this is a lot to take in." Hermione said.

Sophie took a deep breath and nodded. "It's... it's crazy. But, I'm... accepting it, I think. As much as I can."

Hermione nodded, looking back down at Violet.

"Hi Violet, hi baby." Hermione whispered, more and more tears leaking from her eyes.

Hermione stared down, unable to take her eyes away from her baby girl. She felt Draco's presence shift a little farther away and forced herself to look up.

"Um, Madam Pomfrey, what time is it?" Draco asked.

"It's just after midnight, dear. We've been at this a long time. 13 hours." Madam Pomfrey explained, the tiredness seeping into her voice.

"And has there been...?" Draco asked.

"No. I'm afraid not." she whispered.

Hermione was confused. The stress and pain of labour had taken a lot out of her. She tried to think about what they could be talking about. She shifted Violet in her arms, thinking as hard as she could.

She remembered being in their flat with Dumbledore...

The war.

"Oh my god. If Professor Dumbledore didn't come back... th-th-that means..." Hermione stammered, placing the pieces together in her mind.

Draco returned to her side, kissing her forehead and sitting on the side of her bed, sliding his arm around her.

"Now, Hermione, we... we don't know anything." Draco said.

"But we do, Draco! The War is happening right now and I'm not there! Harry, and-and Ron! They're fighting and -"

Draco shushed her as he kept his gaze on Violet. He looked up at Hermione and she stared into his eyes while her own shone with fresh tears.

"You're right. You're not there because of this beautiful baby girl in your arms. _Our_ baby girl." Draco said softly.

Hermione couldn't help but smile for a moment. She looked down at Violet, who's eyes were now closed again as she slept in her mother's arms. Hermione held her out to Draco, who looked terrified.

"Come on, Draco. She's your daughter. Hold her." Hermione said softly.

Draco held out his arms to receive Violet. Hermione shifted her daughter into his arms, losing her breath as she saw the sight of a father holding his daughter for the first time.

"Hi Violet. Hi sweetheart." Draco cooed, gazing down with love at his daughter.

Hermione reached up and kissed her fiancé's cheek tenderly before looking back at Madam Pomfrey and Sophie.

"Madam Pomfrey, once there's word, will you let us know?" Hermione asked.

She nodded before walking away. Hermione looked up at Draco, finding him still staring at Violet, completely mesmerized.

"She's so perfect, Hermione." Draco whispered.

Hermione felt her eyes mist up once more as she looked at her family. She knew that everything would be changing _forever_ tonight.

The War was happening.

Yet, she was happy. She had Draco, and her little girl here with her.

**. . .**

"Hermione... Hermione!"

Hermione blinked her eyes open, trying to locate the sound of the familiar voice in front of her. She felt groggy, trying to place her surroundings.

"Hermione, love. You need to wake up, please."

Hermione instantly recognized Draco's voice. She blinked her eyes a few more times, attempting to wake herself and sit up.

Violet.

Her baby girl.

"Where's Violet?" Hermione mumbled, rubbing her eyes to look at Draco.

"She's with Madam Pomfrey and Sophie. Listen, Hermione, we need to go." Draco whispered.

"Wh-what?" Hermione asked.

She noticed that Draco's expression was entirely different than before. When she had fallen asleep, Draco had been holding their daughter with a happy smile on his face. She wasn't even sure how long she'd been asleep for.

"We need to leave, Hermione." Draco repeated, grabbing Hermione's hand.

"Why? What's wrong? What's happened?" Hermione said as Draco began to pull her out of bed.

"The War, Hermione. My mum stopped by while you were sleeping, and she said it's bad. She said they're going to come to Hogwarts." Draco said quickly.

Fear struck through Hermione at the thought of Hogwarts being invaded. Violet, her defenseless baby girl. That's who they were after.

"Wh-where's Violet? I need Violet." Hermione demanded.

Draco nodded, hurrying away from her. A few moments later, he returned with Violet in his arms and Sophie trailing behind carrying a vial.

"Oh bloody hell, Sophie!" Hermione exclaimed, remembering that her Muggle friend was there with her at Hogwarts in the middle of the War.

"Hey Rhian..." Sophie started, trailing off.

Hermione felt her face flush, as she knew she now had to deal with Sophie and her own true identity.

"Hermione." Sophie corrected herself. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione held out her arms as Draco reached her. He instantly placed Violet into her arms, and she held her close, gazing down at the little girl she couldn't believe was finally there.

"I'm alright." Hermione decided.

Sophie held out the vial to Hermione, at which she only raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. She shifted Violet into her one arm to take the vial from Sophie.

"Uh the... doctor... she said that it's some sort of medicine to help you regain your strength." Sophie explained quietly.

Hermione smiled gratefully and thanked Sophie quickly before downing it in one gulp.

"Has Dumbledore been back?" Hermione asked, hoping for good news.

Draco shook his head quickly. "Just my Mother to warn us."

"Draco... do you really think that they're going to try and take Violet? I mean... she's just a baby. She's just born. She won't be able to... to be _gifted_ yet!" Hermione exclaimed in fear.

Draco sat down on her bedside and pressed a quick kiss on her forehead.

"I don't know, Hermione. I don't know." Draco said solemnly.

Suddenly, a loud crashing noise came from outside the Hospital Wing. Hermione and Draco looked at each other, their eyes widened in fear.

"Wh-wh-what was that?" Sophie whimpered.

"Draco, can I please have my wand?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

He pulled it out of his back pocket and placed it on the bed next to her just as another crash came from the rest of the castle.

"You're right. We need to go." Hermione decided.

She stood up as quickly as she could, still feeling weak from the delivery, as the potion hadn't fully set in.

"Guys, what's happening?" Sophie asked, her voice suddenly much louder, and more like the Sophie they'd come to know and love.

Hermione exchanged another glance with Draco, wondering how to protect their Muggle friend.

"We have to leave, Soph. Okay? We'll explain everything when we get a chance. Just... get behind us, and stay there. If you can hide if we run into people, _hide_." Hermione instructed.

She shifted Violet back into one arm and picked up her wand as Draco, her and Sophie walked quickly to the door of the Hospital Wing.

"Mama's going to protect you, baby girl. Mama and Daddy are going to make sure everything's okay, Violet." Hermione whispered, planting a kiss on the soft forehead of her daughter.

Draco looked at her with fear in his eyes. She looked at his wand hand, finding his knuckles turning white with the force he was clenching his wand. He stepped to her, planting a kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Hermione." he whispered, pressing another kiss to her lips.

"I love you, too, Draco." Hermione said.

She was unsure what they would find when they opened the doors. The unexpected crashing sounds had been indications that there were no longer just students in the castle.

Draco made a move to open the doors when suddenly, the door opened before them. Hermione gasped and held on tighter to Violet and to her wand, which was suddenly outstretched in her hand. She felt her stomach drop to the floor, and her heart beat faster than ever.

"Hello, Mudblood."

**Author's Note:** holy hell it's been a while since i've posted! i hope i haven't lost my readers! i've been quite busy, and i've been writing other things, but i PROMISE, i'm not giving up on this story! i'm sticking with it! now, PLEASE PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! your reviews mean everything to me. enjoy! (:


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